Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins are the starting quarterbacks with contracts that officially expire on March 13 at 4 p.m. ET, the start of the next league year. They both deserve new contracts, but as we’ve seen, it’s rarely that simple. Moreover, it is even less obvious what the circumstances are for the players who play reserve roles. As many teams found out in 2023, the backup quarterback frequently develops into a team’s second-most valuable player, after only the starter.

In light of this, let’s look at the futures of some of the most well-known passers who will soon be eligible for free agency. The clubs that have employed them this season are listed here, along with them.

Don’t let them leave town

With Cousins’ season-ending Achilles injury in 2023, the Vikings had a firsthand view at what life may be like without him when they went through three different backup quarterbacks in search of a reliable replacement. It’s easy to understand how Minnesota should move forward when you combine that lesson with the fact that Kirk Cousins’ play was possibly the only positive aspect of the Vikings’ first eight weeks of 2023. Re-sign Cousins for a one- or two-year contract to lock down a quarterback who was having one of his best seasons before getting hurt, and begin making serious plans for life after Cousins so you’re not left holding the bag a year or two from now.

The least surprising news to come out of Divisional Round weekend? Mayfield and the Buccaneers do indeed share mutual interest in running this partnership back, something NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport originally reported in December. It’s obvious why both parties want to stay together. Mayfield just enjoyed the best season of his career, propelling an afterthought of a Tampa team into the playoffs, where the Bucs proved they were certainly worthy of attention with a blowout of the reigning NFC champion Eagles on Super Wild Card Weekend.

Mayfield appears to have matured after his bumpy 2022, and he’s proven he’s both fully capable and well prepared to see the Buccaneers further into their post-Tom Brady days. In fact, it almost feels as if the Brady era ended years ago. Baker should be your guy now, Bucs fans, and if general manager Jason Licht can get a deal done, he will be for the foreseeable future.

Anthony Richardson’s rookie season began with optimism, but abruptly ended in Week 5 due to a shoulder injury. That situation would spell doom for most teams, but not for the 2023 Colts, who enjoyed capable (and sometimes even better) play from Minshew. The veteran kept these Colts competitive enough to have a chance to win their way into the playoffs in Week 18, and that alone — plus Richardson’s difficulty staying healthy in Year 1 — should sell Indianapolis on keeping a trusty backup on the roster.

Unlike in the last two seasons, the Ravens didn’t need Huntley to keep them afloat late in 2023. Lamar Jackson was healthy enough to play, leaving Huntley to start just one game, an irrelevant Week 18 meeting with the Steelers. But Baltimore would be wise to keep Huntley around because of his familiarity with the team and demonstrated capability for stepping in for Jackson when needed. Any other backup wouldn’t provide quite as much of a seamless fit, at least not initially.

In one of the unlikeliest stories of 2023, Rudolph rose from a quarterback buried on Pittsburgh’s depth chart for years to the Steelers’ best option in a desperate playoff push, performing well enough to see the team into the postseason and convince management he still has value. Mike Tomlin already told reporters the Steelers are very much interested in “doing continued business with” Rudolph, who could even push Kenny Pickett in training camp in a 2024 competition Tomlin appears to welcome. Pittsburgh and Rudolph have to find common financial ground to get it done.

Brissett spent most of 2023 seated behind Sam Howell, but as the second-year pro struggled more and more late in the season, the veteran eventually found a chance to see the field, instantly elevating Washington’s offense and causing many to wonder why Ron Rivera didn’t turn to Brissett sooner.

With Cousins’ season-ending Achilles injury in 2023, the Vikings had a firsthand view at what life may be like without him when they went through three different backup quarterbacks in search of a reliable replacement. It’s easy to understand how Minnesota should move forward when you combine that lesson with the fact that Kirk Cousins’ play was possibly the only positive aspect of the Vikings’ first eight weeks of 2023. Re-sign Cousins for a one- or two-year contract to lock down a quarterback who was having one of his best seasons before getting hurt, and begin making serious plans for life after Cousins so you’re not left holding the bag a year or two from now.

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