The quarterback market was shook up this morning with the news that Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis was undergoing season-ending surgery to his throwing shoulder. The news, coming at the doorstep of training camp, plunges Tennessee’s backup situation under the microscope and potentially ramps up the demand for some of the other available quarterbacks across the league. 

The free agent well at the position is pretty barren, although not completely dry. A team in need of a quarterback, either as a backup or a replacement starter in the coming months, would be far more likely to find one via trade. 

Who are the best quarterbacks on the market who are available? Which ones would be of interest for backup positions versus starting roles? Here are five names to know. 

---

Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins – Replacement starter

The Falcons have put on a brave face here and insisted that they’re totally fine with this resolution. Cousins is set to make $27.5 million this season and has another $10 million bonus for 2026 that is fully guaranteed as well. The risk of the financials, plus Kirk’s age, make him the “in case of emergency to starter, break glass” option and not much else. 

It’s hard to envision a team giving Atlanta a meaningful offer unless an established starter goes down at the start of the season and full desperation takes over. You never want to root for injuries, but the Falcons need to be doing exactly that if their aspirations of getting out of Cousins’ contract are going to come to life. Otherwise, they’ll be paying the league’s most expensive backup by a mile in 2025. 

---

New York’s Jameis Winston – Low end replacement starter

The Giants had to protect themselves at the start of the 2025 offseason. Their quarterback situation in 2024 was a disaster. So the Giants signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston to free agent deals in the spring before successfully maneuvering the 2025 NFL Draft to move up and select Jaxson Dart. 

Dart’s presence and Wilson’s presumed status as the immediate starter make Winston’s role in the quarterback room, well, redundant. The hard sell for another team that could try to acquire him via trade is that he was just available to sign in March without having to surrender an asset. But with a two-year deal valued at $8 million in total value, a team could target him as a low-cost pivot if the starter goes down. He’s almost certainly be cheaper than Cousins from a pick perspective and the salary discrepancy leans heavily towards Winston being the preferred option. 

---

Cleveland’s Kenny Pickett – Potential replacement starter or legitimate backup

Kenny Pickett’s had a rough draw after falling into a first-round draft status in 2022. He’s been traded twice in the last eighteen months, once from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia in 2024 and again this past March from Philadelphia to Cleveland. Hey, at least he got a Super Bowl ring out of it. 

Pickett will play this year on the final year of his rookie contract and currently populates a quarterback room that also boasts veteran Joe Flacco and two rookies that Cleveland acquired after picking up Pickett in March. Are the Browns tied to him at all? He was most recently traded for a 5th-round pick, so a team calling Cleveland likely knows what it would take to get his services proactively. 

The challenge for the Browns is if they’re willing to carry four quarterbacks on the active roster. If the answer is no, they may be willing to cut their losses with Pickett and take less assuming he doesn’t win the starting job, which should in all likelihood go to Joe Flacco. 

---

Free agent Carson Wentz – Veteran backup

The former No. 2 overall pick of the Philadelphia Eagles has bounced around the league over the last four seasons, including stops in Indianapolis, Washington, Los Angeles, and last year in Kansas City. In his one start in 2024, Wentz did not look comfortable against a ferocious Broncos defense while playing amid the backups in Week 18. 

He finished the game 10 of 17 passing for 98 yards and took four sacks in a shutout loss. 

Wentz is the most experienced name available that is currently without a team; so any team hoping to secure a true veteran backup without sending assets away should have him at the top of their speed dial. 

---

Free agent Teddy Bridgewater – High risk backup

Bridgewater came out of retirement last winter to sign with the Detroit Lions. He ultimately did not take any snaps last season and was charged with only three snaps for the Lions in 2023, his last official game action. But Bridgewater’s apparent availability does make him one of the more experienced players technically eligible. 

Bridgewater was last a starter in 2021 with the Broncos and collected a handful of starts for the Dolphins in 2022 — so it has been a while since he’s played meaningful football. The question anyone considering Bridgewater must ask is if his presence and experience transcends the risk of what it would look like if he actually had to play. But when you’re this deep in the list, the intrigue can serve as a tipping point. 

Titans QB Will Levis chooses season-ending shoulder surgery ahead of 2025 training camp

Levis won’t be traded…yet.