The NFL's annual chase for veteran quarterbacks begins when the Indianapolis Scouting Combine opens on Tuesday and sets the stage for general managers, coaches and agents to scheme how to match starters with new teams.
This year's scheming around Indianapolis comes with the added hope that maybe there's a big prize at the end of the exercise, because last year the Seattle Seahawks began to gather information that led to themtrading their starting quarterback Geno Smithand feeling out new starterSam Darnold's free agency price pointat the Combine.
And we all know how thatturned out for the Seahawks.
(Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
This year, teams will be kicking the proverbial tires on at least five potential starting quarterbacks they hope could be the next Darnold – a castoff player who failed at multiple NFL stops but lifted his latest team to a championship.
The quarterbacks expected to be on the trade market in Indy despite the fact the trading period doesn't begin until 4 p.m. (ET) on March 11:
All of those players are under contract for the 2026 season with their current clubs. Teams will obviously also look to free agents such as Daniel Jones, Malik Willis, Trey Lance and Aaron Rodgers if he decides to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But the clubs holding 2025 starters they want to dispatch also will initiate trade talks for those quarterbacks. And several of those players will be released by their clubs if trade conversations prove fruitless.
And the trade talks proving fruitless is a significant possibility.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. (Getty Images)
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