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Quarterbacks are super important in the NFL, just like point guards thread the needle in the NBA. A good QB wins you games, while an elite one grants you a shot at the Super Bowl.
Here is a list of five best-shot callers testing free agency ahead of the 2023 NFL season.
Five best free agent QB’s to pick up ahead of the 2023 NFL season
We must inform you that the players on this list have been eliminated from the Playoffs at the time of writing. As such, they will have ample time to consider their next career moves.
5. Cam Newton, Unattached
In his first spell with the Carolina Panthers, Cam Newton was a beast and mowed down any threat in his path to the end zone. In his time with the New England Patriots, Newton was inefficient in Bill Belichick's carefully curated offense, so it didn't come as a surprise when both parties ended the relationship. So the less we talk about his second spell in Carolina, the better.
Since leaving the Panthers for the second time, Newton has not signed for any other NFL side. The former league MVP also painstakingly stated that he won't sign a contract to be a backup in the league. Cam Newton might have a future in the NFL, and this season's free agency is either a make or break for the icon.
4. Baker Mayfield, Los Angeles Rams
In his day, Baker Mayfield is one of the better QBs in the NFL, with an arm of steel and football IQ for days. Unfortunately, football isn't played on paper but rather on Gridiron. Baker was an unwelcome distraction for the Cleveland Browns, so he was traded to the Carolina Panthers. He wasn't playing well enough for the Panthers, so he was waived after less than ten weeks with the side.
Mayfield got a huge slice of luck from the injury gods. That was the only reason the Rams signed him as an emergency replacement for Matthew Stafford. Mayfield did a solid job filling in for his fellow first-overall pick. However, Strafford will be back next season, thus making it difficult to re-sign Mayfield. On his part, Mayfield will be looking for one final decent payday as time in the league is winding down.
3. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith's rise from an afterthought to a Pro Bowler in one season is arguably one of the best feel-good NFL events of the year. Smith is counted out a couple of times in his NFL career and has also been called a bust by some analysts. However, Geno Smith cooked after Russell Wilson to Denver Broncos trade.
Smith picked the perfect time to pick up his form, with the 2022 NFL season being the last on his current contract. The 32-year-old will be negotiating with the Seattle Seahawks as a newly minted Pro Bowler in just a couple of months, and will be demanding to be paid as such.
2. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tom Brady's time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had highs, lows, and frankly puzzling moments. The Bucs were a lottery team prior to Brady's 2020 arrival, and he is likely departing from the franchise on the back of three consecutive playoff appearances. Brady will be coming into the offseason as a free agent for only the second time in his illustrious 23-plus years' career.
However, the greatest quarterback will always have suitors. We have heard rumors that teams like the Jets, Dolphins, Patriots, Bucs, Titans and Raiders are all eager to sign Brady. It's fair to say Tom Brady's agent is about to be a very busy man.
1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
It should have never led to this, but unfortunately for the Ravens, Lamar Jackson is about to become a free agent. The 2019 league MVP failed to agree to an extension at the beginning of the season, which could have made him one of the highest-paid players in the league. However, Jackson wants more and is unwilling to budge.
All hope is not lost for the Ravens, as they could elect to franchise tag Jackson for now. It will be a dicey offseason for the Ravens, and they have no one to blame but themselves.
