The Atlanta Falcons have declared Kirk Cousins will be a salary-cap cut. Kyler Murray has been informed of his impending release by the Arizona Cardinals. Geno Smith is widely expected to join them this week once the Las Vegas Raiders let him go.
Beyond them, well, the landscape of available quarterbacks looks quite barren for NFL teams seeking the next Sam Darnold success story in free agency. Trade candidates among proven starters appear to be even more scarce. For the handful of clubs at a crossroad or committed to starting over this offseason, the timing is hardly ideal.
The rookie class thins quickly after Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, the consensus projection to be taken first overall in the April draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, so going the Drake Maye route to a Super Bowl probably won’t happen anytime soon.
Reliable quarterbacks have been of utmost importance for decades in the NFL, but long-term satisfaction with the position across the league is becoming increasingly elusive. Just because a team has paid top dollar for a franchise quarterback doesn’t mean that decision won’t be reconsidered the following year for cost, injuries, performance or all of the above.
After eating more than $99 million in dead money on their salary cap by deciding to cut Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins snatched up the most sought-after free agent. They gave former Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers backup Malik Willis a reported $45 million guaranteed over three years in a deal that will quickly allow the 26-year-old with just 155 career attempts to cash in even bigger if he can establish himself as a productive and reliable starter.