Free Agency 2022 Preview: Quarterbacks

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February 18, 2022

by Steve Thomas

We are in the middle of our annual Washington Redskins Washington Commanders Washington free agency preview.  This week, we’re going to tackle quarterbacks.

Washington’s current 2022 quarterback group is easy: it’s Taylor Heinicke, period.  No other quarterback is on the roster.  Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was signed to be the 2021 starter but lost for the season with a hip injury in game 1, will be a free agent.  Kyle Allen, for whom Washington traded a fifth round pick to Carolina, will be a restricted free agent, so Washington will have the right to keep Allen by matching any offer he may receive.  As of right now, though, he isn’t on the 2022 roster.  Clearly, Washington has to do something, and while that something may primarily come from the draft, plenty of free agency prospects are available should the team choose to go that route. The team could also trade for someone – an option about which the team has openly hinted and for which the fan base has been clamoring, but for purposes of this column, we’re going to stick to free agency.

For this exercise, I eliminated everyone who isn’t an unrestricted free agent, more than anything because it’s extremely unlikely that Washington is going to rely on that course of action to find a starter, or even a backup, under these circumstances.  Because quarterback is such a unique position, I’ve waived my usual practice of eliminating anyone over 30 on these lists.  This list is by no means complete; it is just a survey of some interesting possibilities.  Honestly, it’s a pretty weak class this year.

Top of the market players

In my view, none of the players currently available qualify as “top of the market” starters.

Mid-level players who are possibilities  

1.  Teddy Bridgewater (6’2” / 215, 32 years old, rd 1 / 2014) – Bridgewater spent last year with the Denver Broncos after have been traded by the Panthers for a sixth round pick last offseason.  He began his career with the Minnesota Vikings, suffering a terrible knee injury in 2016, but returned to back up Case Keenum in 2017.  He signed with the Jets in the 2018 offseason but was traded to the Saints shortly thereafter.  He then signed a three year deal with the Panthers in 2020.  In total, Bridgewater has played in 73 games, with 63 starts, completing 1323 passes in 1988 attempts for 14,437 yards, a 66.5% completion percentage, 71 touchdowns, 43 interceptions, a 2.2% interception percentage, and a career quarterback rating of 90.7.  Last season in Denver, Bridgewater played and started 14 games, with 285 completions in 426 attempts, 3052 yards, 18 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and a 94.9 quarterback rating.  Bridgewater could possibly serve as a quality starter, but at this point in his career, it’s highly doubtful that he could become a franchise-quality quarterback and lead a team to a Super Bowl.  It’s noteworthy that he suffered a concussion in week 15 and was placed on injured reserve on January 5, so any signing is contingent on Bridgewater’s health.

2.  Tyrod Taylor (6’1” / 217, 32 years old, rd 6 / 2011) – Taylor has bounced around during his career, from Baltimore from 2011 to 2014, to Buffalo from 2015 to 2017, Cleveland for 2018, the Chargers from 2019 – 2020, and finally Houston last season.  In total, Taylor has played in 78 games, with 53 starts, and has completed 946 of 1546 pass attempts, for a 61.3% completion percentage, and has 59 touchdowns, 25 interceptions, a 1.6% interception percentage, and an 88.2 quarterback rating.  Last season, Taylor played and started 6 games for the Texans, completing 91 of 150 pass attempts for 966 yards and a 60.7% completion percentage, 5 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, and a 76.7 quarterback rating.  Taylor is yet another guy who could conceivably serve as a fill-in for a season or two while Washington prepares a rookie to start, but that’s all.

3.  Andy Dalton (6’2” / 220, 34 years old, rd 2 / 2011) – At this point in his career, realistically, Dalton is a backup.  He was the starter in Cincinnati from 2011 – 2019, but was allowed to leave for Dallas for the 2020 season.  He spent last year in Chicago as the Bears’ bridge their Justin Fields future.  In total, he’s played in 152 games, starting 148, with 3122 completions in 5018 attempts for 35,279 yards, a 62.2% completion percentage, 226 touchdowns, 135 interceptions, a 2.7% interception rating, and an 87.0 quarterback rating.  Last season, he played 8 games, starting 6, completing 149 passes in 236 attempts for 1515 yards, a 63.1% completion percentage, 8 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, and a 76.9 quarterback rating.  Dalton is a pro and would make a serviceable bridge to the future, should Washington choose to go that route.

4.  Marcus Mariota (6’4” / 222, 28 years old, rd 1 / 2015) – Mariota played with the Raiders in 2020 and 2021, serving as a backup to starter Derek Carr.  He was drafted #2 overall by the Tennessee Titans in 2015, where he stayed until moving to the Raiders.  In his career, Mariota has played in a total of 74 games, starting 61, with 1128 completions in 1795 attempts, 13,437 yards, a 62.8% completion percentage, 77 touchdowns, 45 interceptions, a 2.5% interception percentage, and a career 89.5 quarterback rating.  He barely played while with the Raiders for the last two seasons – in 2021, he had just 1 completion in 2 attempts for 4 yards.  Mariota realistically isn’t a starter but is a decent passer who could conceivably come to Washington and serve as a quality backup for a couple years.

5.  Jacoby Brissett (6’4” / 235, 29 years old, rd 3 / 2016) – Brissett was drafted by the Patriots but traded to the Colts in September, 2017, where he started the entire season in place of the injured Andrew Luck.  He was relegated to the bench when Luck returned in 2017, then got the starting job back in 2019 after Luck’s abrupt retirement.  Brissett then backed up Phillip Rivers in 2020, then signed with the Dolphins for the 2021 season.  In total, he’s played in 60 games, with 37 starts, and has completed 727 passes in 1208 attempts for 7742 yards, a 60.2% completion percentage, 36 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, a 1.4% completion percentage, and a career 83.0 quarterback rating.  Last season in Miami, Brissett played in 11 games, including 5 starts in relief of Tua Tagovailoa, and completed 141 of 225 pass attempts, for 1283 yards, a 62.7% completion percentage, 5 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and a 78.1 quarterback rating.  Realistically, Brissett is a backup.

6.  Jameis Winston (6’4” / 231, 28 years old, #1 overall pick in 2015) – Winston would be higher on this list – perhaps either #1 or #2 – were it not for his injury.  Winston suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in week 8 last season, October 31, and was put on injured reserve on November 2.  Recent reports on his recovery have been promising, including a viral training video from January 16:

Still, the likelihood that he can be 100% ready to go in time to learn a new offense in Washington during training camp in July and August is unknown.  If Washington is confident that’s he’s on track for the 2022 season, he will certainly be higher on their list of candidates.   In total, Winston has played 83 games, including 77 starts, and has completed 1665 of 2720 pass attempts, for 20,982 yards, a 61.2% completion percentage, 135 touchdowns, 91 interceptions, a 3.3% interception percentage, and a career 87.8 quarterback rating.  He was originally drafted by Tampa Bay, but moved over to the Saints in 2020.  Winston isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer and has a history of stupid decisions on his resume, most recently including a suspension in 2018 for allegedly groping an Uber driver.  Signing a quarterback recovering from ACL surgery and multiple instances of idiotic conduct would be on par to some extent with Washington’s recent history.  He isn’t a MENSA member and has thrown a ton of interceptions in his career, but he does have a quality arm.  Assuming he could continue to hold his bad behavior in check, Winston is yet another player who could be a serviceable fill-in while they search for a franchise-quality starter.

Desperation City  

Mitchell Trubisky (6’2” / 220, 27 years old, rd 1 / 2017) – Mitchell Trubisky sucks.  Let me say that again for those of you in the back: Mitchell Trubisky sucks.  Washington fans should be rooting for him to go to some other team.  Trubisky has spent his four year career with the Bears but was replaced by Andy Dalton and Justin Fields.  In total, he’s played 50 games, with 57 starts, and has completed 1016 of 1585 pass attempts, for 10,652 yards, a 64.1% completion percentage, 64 touchdowns, 38 interceptions, a 2.4% interception percentage, and a career 87.0 quarterback rating.  He can’t be Washington’s future, but could conceivably be a serviceable backup.

Cam Newton (6’5” / 245, 32 years old, #1 overall pick in 2011) – Cam has suffered a series of injuries in his career, and at this point, he’s washed up.  I’m including him here only because he played with Ron Rivera for 9 years in Carolina.  Rivera had the chance to sign him prior to the 2019 season, but passed in favor of Newton’s backup, Kyle Allen.  I would be very surprised if this came to fruition now, but stranger things have happened.  The Panthers released Newton in the 2020 offseason, and he signed with the New England Patriots in July.  He was a bad fit in New England from day one, although he lasted the season.  He was cut at the end of training camp last year and returned to the Panthers in November.  In total, Newton has played in 148 games, including 144 starts, and has completed 2682 of 4474 pass attempts, for 32,382 yards, a 59.9% completion percentage, 194 touchdowns, 123 interceptions, a 2.7% interception percentage, and a career 85.2 quarterback rating.  Last season in Carolina, he played in 8 games, starting 5, and completed 69 passes in 126 attempts for 684 yards, a 54.8% completion percentage, 4 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, and a 64.4 quarterback rating.  It would be unwise for Washington to turn to Newton.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (6’2” / 221, 39 years old, rd 7 / 2005) – Fitzpatrick went 3 for 6 for 13 yards in one game for Washington last year before going down for the season with a hip injury.  I’m not going to bother listing all of his stats, because there’s no point.  Very little has been said about his recovery, so whether he will be able to play next year, or even wants to, is unknown.  Ron Rivera signed him once, though, to it’s not totally crazy to think he’d do it again.

Best option

In my view, if Washington doesn’t make a trade for a franchise quarterback such as Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson, which seems unlikely at best, and wants to sign a free agent starter, Teddy Bridgewater is probably the best bet.  What do you think?  Let me know in the comment section below.