NFL free agency doesn’t officially begin until Wednesday, March 11, at 4 p.m. ET, but the legal tampering period gets underway on Monday.
With teams beginning to formulate their offseason plans, the quarterback position will be one of extreme interest when it comes to the open market. Signal callers — such as Malik Willis and Aaron Rodgers — will be available in free agency this offseason.
Below, we’ll rank the top five free agent quarterbacks that will be available to NFL teams in 2026 free agency.
Ranking the Best 2026 NFL Free Agent Quarterbacks
During the 2025 offseason, the NFL saw multiple franchises potentially find their quarterbacks of the future in the free agency market.
The Seattle Seahawks signed Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract after a successful season with the Minnesota Vikings. Darnold ended up being worth every penny as the veteran signal caller led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl in his first season.
Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts also may have found their quarterback of the future in Daniel Jones. Jones led the Colts to an 8-5 record in games that he started before suffering a torn Achilles that ended his season in early December.
Still, the Colts liked what they saw as the franchise placed the transition tag on Jones. Now the team has the right to match any offer for Jones and could come to terms on a long-term deal with the veteran signal caller.
There may not be several elite options on the 2026 free agent market at the quarterback position. However, there are some signal callers who can help NFL franchises.
1. Malik Willis (Packers to Dolphins)
Update: Malik Willis has agreed to terms with the Dolphins on a 3-year, $67.5 million deal with $45 million guaranteed, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Once a potential future franchise quarterback of the Tennessee Titans, Malik Willis had a turbulent tenure with the franchise before moving on to the Green Bay Packers in a 2024 trade. However, landing in Green Bay has proved to be the best thing that could’ve happened in terms of Willis’ development.
Willis emerged as a top free agent QB talent while starting QB Jordan Love was on the shelf in 2025.
In two seasons with the Packers, Willis went 2-1 as a starter, while completing 78.7% of his passes for 972 yards and six touchdowns compared to zero interceptions.
The 2022 third-round pick also carried the ball 42 times for 261 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and three touchdowns.
Willis has become a more sound decision-maker and has utilized his legs only when necessary.
2. Aaron Rodgers (Steelers)
In terms of quarterbacks, the biggest wild card in free agency could be Aaron Rodgers.
After all, Rodgers kicked the tires on his future for several months last offseason before eventually signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in June. It’s likely that Rodgers will contemplate retirement this offseason, but a return certainly can’t be ruled out.
Rodgers definitely isn’t the legendary quarterback of old, but still is a serviceable option for a team in need of a signal caller. In 2025, Rodgers completed 65.7% of his passes for 3,322 yards to go along with 24 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
If Rodgers does choose to return to the gridiron, a likely landing spot would be a return to the Steelers. Rodgers’ former head coach Mike McCarthy is now the Steelers’ head coach, so a reunion could make a ton of sense for both sides.
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3. Kyler Murray (Cardinals)
Kyler Murray is currently still a member of the Arizona Cardinals roster, but the team plans to release the veteran quarterback at the start of the league year on Wednesday. As a result, Murray will be one of the more coveted quarterbacks on the open market.
Since being selected with the top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, it’s been an up-and-down tenure in Arizona for Murray, without a lot of highs — he has never won a playoff game in his career.
The versatile quarterback has accumulated a 67.1% career completion percentage with 121 touchdowns compared to 60 interceptions. Murray has also showcased his rushing ability with 6.0 yards per carry and 32 rushing touchdowns.
According to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, the Minnesota Vikings have “emerged” as the favorite to sign Murray once he is officially released later this week. The Vikings actually have a 1.33x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks NFL futures as the team most likely to sign him.
It’s widely expected that Murray will sign a one-year deal and attempt to cash in on a long-term contract in 2027.
Murray oozes athleticism and certainly could thrive in the right situation. Considering that he’s likely one of the top options, Murray could take his time deciding on where he wants to spend the 2026 season.
4. Geno Smith (Raiders)
For a team that is looking for a stopgap quarterback, Geno Smith would definitely fit the bill.
After being labeled as a bust early in his career, Smith really enjoyed quite a resurgence as a member of the Seattle Seahawks from 2020 to 2024. During that span, Smith completed 68.5% of his passes and threw for over 4,000 yards in two of his four seasons as the team’s starting quarterback.
However, when head coach Pete Carroll left the organization for the Las Vegas Raider, Smith ended up following suit. It was a forgettable season in Las Vegas for Smith as he threw for just 3,025 yards to go along with 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions (the most since his rookie season).
He was also sacked a career-high 55 times, but a lot of that had to do with the Raiders’ lackluster offensive line.
In the right situation, Smith would be a solid option under center for a team. He can command an offense and still can sling it at 35 years old.
The Dolphins were the preferred landing spot for Smith, according to reports, but Miami have found their answer at QB by agreeing to terms with Willis on Monday.
5. Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins to Falcons)
Update: Tua Tagovailoa has agreed to terms with the Atlanta Falcons, as was expected leading into free agency opening up. It's a one-year minimum deal for Tua, while the Dolphins will eat $99 million in dead cap from the release.
Much like Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa will be another veteran who will be released from the Miami Dolphins at the start of the new league year later this week.
The Dolphins originally selected Tagovailoa with the fifth-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after a star-studded career at Alabama. Tagovailoa has had a tumultuous career in Miami that has featured multiple concussions as well as inconsistent production at times.
In six seasons, Tagovailoa has recorded a career 68.0% completion percentage, while passing for 120 touchdowns and 59 interceptions. The 28-year old has never thrown for more than 29 touchdowns in a single season during his time with the Dolphins, who are set to move in a new direction.
Atlanta is expected to release veteran Kirk Cousins at the start of the league year, but it also has 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr., who is expected to lead the QB room.
Tagovailoa also provides an insurance plan if Penix is not ready to return from a torn ACL suffered in November 2025, as he's currently in rehab for the injury. Tua will most likely battle it out with Penix for the starting job under new head coach Kevin Stefanski, though Penix should be expected to be the favorite.
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Make NFL Free Agency Predictions on PrizePicks
Malik Willis and Aaron Rodgers will be among the top available quarterbacks when free agency opens, with Tua and Kyler Murray looking to new teams for the first time in their career. Quarterback-needy teams will certainly be expressing interest, especially after what Sam Darnold did for the Seahawks this past season.
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Keep it here with the Playbook for continued NFL picks, predictions, futures, and more as the offseason moves along.
