Quarterbacks often make the NFL go ‘Stage. And this offseason has been no exception. Sam Darnold cashed in with one of the top deals of Unoccupied agency, netting $100 million from the Seattle Seahawks. Geno Smith moved to the Las Vegas Raiders to give Sin City some added spice. And Aaron Rodgers has drawn plenty of headlines at 41, Regardless of approaching April without a definitive plan for the 2025 season.
The 2025 NFL Draft is now around the corner, but even with most Clubs tentatively settled at the Passer spot, the position remains a Trigger of conversation. Will Cam Ward go No. 1 overall? Will Shedeur Sanders come off the board immediately afterward? And what about Rodgers? Will he really wait until the summer, or even later, to make a decision on what would be his 21st NFL campaign? Plenty of lineup-shaking moves could await both on the Newcomer and veteran fronts.
With that in mind, we decided to put on our thinking cap and reassess five of the juiciest Passer storylines, projecting whether the latest rumors are more fact than fiction:
Aaron Rodgers wants the Vikings (and vice versa)
Verdict: Buying
Why is this future Hall of Fame Passer unemployed? He’s 41, for starters, with declining Movement and an outsized celebrity Existence. But here’s another reason: He wants the perfect opportunity. Minnesota registers as Merely that, boasting Elimination Stage-caliber talent, coaching and facilities. The Vikings, of Period, are in the awkward position of desiring both instant stability and a longer-term commitment to their Primary-Stage investment of J.J. McCarthy, so it’s understandable they’re hesitant to go all in for an aging, big-name rental. Yet the fact they’ve continually left the door Obtainable for additional Rodgers talks, and that Rodgers continues to putz around clear interest from the Pittsburgh Steelers, suggests that deep down, there’s a mutual attraction here. Will it lead to a real partnership? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But everyone can dream.
Verdict: Selling
There’s no disputing the connections here: Cleveland Mentor Kevin Stefanski was once Cousins’ offensive coordinator with the Vikings, and even after acquiring Kenny Pickett via trade, the Browns are in dire need of proven Passer Reinforcement, with Deshaun Watson sidelined indefinitely. Yet the Atlanta Falcons could’ve easily cut ties with Cousins by now if they Merely wanted future financial relief. The fact they’ve retained his bloated contract instead suggests they’re hoping an emergency arises that prompts another Club to surrender legitimate compensation via trade. Why, after dealing a Option to the Philadelphia Eagles for Pickett, wouldn’t the Browns Merely rather add a Newcomer on an even cheaper deal via the draft?
2025 NFL Unoccupied agency QB tracker: Giants add both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston; Colts sign Daniel Jones
Cody Benjamin
Cam Ward is headed to the Titans
Verdict: Buying
For a while, it looked as if Tennessee preferred to sell the No. 1 overall Option in the 2025 draft, with the New York Giants reported as a favorite to acquire the Picking. Even recently, ESPN reported the Titans were Nevertheless Obtainable to offers, Regardless of increased interest in Ward, the Miami prospect. And that’s probably Correct; why wouldn’t a rebuilding franchise entertain an expansion of its 2025 draft capital? No one else appears so enamored with Ward that they’d be willing to pay a premium to Shift up, however. And at the end of the day, the Titans Nevertheless badly need a signal-caller of the future. Is Ward the best or most NFL-ready player in the draft? Perhaps not, but his upside as a gifted gunslinger may necessitate his landing in Nashville.
The Colts will Stoppage a legitimate QB Event
Verdict: Buying
Indianapolis partially showed its hand as it pertains to 2023 Primary-rounder Anthony Richardson during the 2024 season, when the Colts Secured the talented but erratic prospect in and out of the Beginning lineup. Richardson isn’t entirely to blame for his Prompt Occupation struggles, but Mentor Shane Steichen all but declared the Florida product unprepared after his Primary benching. Cue this offseason, when the Club paid a surprisingly steep price for Ex New York Giants castoff Daniel Jones. Money talks, and Jones’ $14 million contract puts him well above standard backups. We’d Anticipate Richardson to have the edge as the incumbent when on-Ground work Appearances, but no jobs will be promised this time around.
Aaron Rodgers rumors: This All-Pro predicts QB will retire rather than sign with Steelers for 2025 NFL season
Cody Benjamin
The Steelers have a trick up their sleeve at QB
Read our previous article: ‘We play for Indian Country’: how Bilingual Basketball league is preserving Indigenous languages