Sports

This Year’s QB Carousel: Where will the Biggest Names Land

Ben Kuchipudi ‘25

Sports Editor

Jimmy Garoppolo Photo credits to SFgate.com
  1. Jimmy Garoppolo
    1. Kyle Shanahan outright said that Jimmy Garoppolo will not be a 49er next season, so the question is where is he going to sign next? He’s proven that he can win games and make deep playoff runs, but he’s been injury prone his entire career (he’s currently nursing a broken foot) and he’s going to demand a hefty contract. Many teams seem to be “a quarterback away”, but the team I can see landing Garoppolo is the Las Vegas Raiders. They just cut ties with Derek Carr and are looking to make a push for the playoffs next season. There are better options on the market for Vegas, but Jimmy G makes the most sense for them due to his familiarity with Josh McDaniels’ system. It didn’t suit Carr, but it should suit Garoppolo, and I can easily see him donning the silver and black next season.
      1. Prediction: Garoppolo signs a 4 year, $130 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.
  2. Derek Carr
    1. It seemed like Derek Carr was a lock to go to the New Orleans Saints after having two meetings with them, but the Raiders released him and now he is free to sign with any team he chooses to. He also just met with the New York Jets this past Saturday and should be meeting with more teams soon. Carr had a down season, but he’s easily in the top half of quarterbacks in the league and can help teams that are a quarterback away. The Saints and Jets will be in the mix for Carr, but I think he goes in a different direction. The Washington Commanders have dealt with their own quarterback carousel over the past few years, starting guys like Carson Wentz, Alex Smith, Taylor Heinicke, and Dwayne Haskins just to name a few. They have a talented receiving core and defense, but the lack of consistency at the quarterback position has held them back. Adding Carr should push them above the Giants in the NFC East, and possibly the Cowboys as well.
      1. Prediction: Carr signs a 3 year, $115 million deal with the Washington Commanders
  3. Lamar Jackson
    1. The fact that Lamar hasn’t been extended yet is absurd considering the offense looked completely lost without him this past season. He’s dealt with injuries the last two seasons, but he’s still one of the most electrifying players in the league and will always make Baltimore contenders. The problem is now that players saw how much Deshaun Watson got paid, quarterbacks of Jackson’s caliber will demand north of the $230 million guaranteed that Watson got, and the Ravens may not be willing to pay that to Jackson due to his lack of availability. If they do decide to trade him, they are going to receive a larger haul than what Houston got for Watson (three first round picks and two late round picks), so they’ll have ammo to retool their roster. If they don’t trade Lamar, which I think will be the case, they’ll have to extend him ASAP because he’ll likely sit out if he doesn’t get paid. Right now I can see Jackson receiving the non-exclusive franchise tag, meaning that if he signs with another team, the Ravens will receive two first round picks, which seems like the most likely scenario.
      1. Prediction: Jackson receives the non-exclusive franchise tag.
  4. Aaron Rodgers
    1. Aaron Rodgers leaving Green Bay has been a rumor ever since they drafted Jordan Love to succeed him three years ago, and now it seems like it may become a reality. The Packers missed the playoffs with an 8-9 record after two years of playoff disappointment as the first seed in the NFC, and it seems like Rodgers is finally fed up. As insane as Rodgers is, he is still one of the most talented players to ever play the game, and any team that trades for him will instantly become a contender. Right now, there’s one team that makes the most sense for him to go to, and that’s my New York Jets. It’s no secret that Woody Johnson wants a massive upgrade at quarterback after Zach Wilson was benched twice this past season, and this team is ready to win now, so why not go all out for Aaron Rodgers? He’s 39 years old, but he gives the Jets at least two years of competing for a title while the team figures out who can replace him. Coincidentally, Rodgers is also Zach Wilson’s idol and he was compared to him while at BYU, so maybe Wilson can fix his mechanics while learning him. Rodgers won’t be cheap, but Woody Johnson is willing to spend, and giving him an offense featuring Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson as well as a top five defense makes the Jets a legitimate threat to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East, and a threat to win it all as well.
      1. Prediction: Rodgers gets traded to the New York Jets for a 2023 second round pick (No. 43 overall), and a 2024 conditional second round pick.

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