NFL Big Five: Teams with biggest quarterback need this offseason

As the 2025 NFL regular season winds down, teams are beginning to assess their needs for the upcoming offseason.

For the following five, quarterback needs to be at the top of the list.

Arizona Cardinals (3-11)

The Cardinals are proof that quantity doesn't equal quality. Arizona's seventh-ranked passing attack is inflated with the team leading the league in pass attempts. 

Per NFL Pro data, Jacoby Brissett, who replaced Week 1 starter Kyler Murray midway through the season, is No. 20 in expected points added per dropback (-0.03). Murray is on injured reserve with a foot injury, a move ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler recently noted was likely done to preserve his trade market.

Arizona currently holds the No. 6 pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, and with few can't-miss quarterback prospects in this year's class, it might need to trade up to land one of the top players at the position.

Cleveland Browns (3-11)

Rookie Shedeur Sanders could give the Browns something to think about with a strong finish, but chances are that Cleveland will once again be in the quarterback market this offseason.

The Browns are No. 30 in pass offense (2,407 yards) despite ranking No. 7 in attempts (483). Sanders is completing just 52.2 percent of his passes, and according to Pro Football Reference, his 16.9 QBR is the worst among 45 quarterbacks with at least two starts. Per ESPN, the Browns have an 18.9 percent chance to earn the No. 1 pick.

Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)

Geno Smith's run as a viable starter came to a crashing halt in his first season with the Raiders. Smith has thrown nearly as many interceptions (14) as touchdowns (16) while taking a league-high 49 sacks. His 203.7 passing yards per game are his fewest in a season with at least 10 starts since 2014, his second year in the league.

A Week 17 home game versus the New York Giants (2-12) will likely settle the race for the No. 1 pick, which ESPN projects to go to Las Vegas. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore are trending toward being the first quarterback off the board, and either could be the answer to the Raiders' seasons-long search for a franchise quarterback.

Miami Dolphins (6-8)

It's unclear how Monday's ugly 28-15 loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers will impact head coach Mike McDaniel's future, but quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's became clearer when the team benched him Wednesday for rookie seventh-rounder Quinn Ewers.

Tagovailoa already has $54 million guaranteed next season and would see an astronomical $99.2M dead cap charge if released. It will be difficult to part ways with Tagovailoa, but that doesn't mean he should enter 2026 as the team's starter.

The Dolphins could reach for a quarterback in a shallow class, but with other holes on the roster, it might make more sense to kick the tires on a cheaper alternative on the free-agent market or via trade.

New York Jets (3-11)

Rookie Brady Cook will get his second start of the season in Week 16 at the New Orleans Saints (4-10). He's been awful in his first two games, completing 57.1 percent of his pass attempts for 339 yards (5.4 yards per attempt), one touchdown and five interceptions. He's also been sacked nine times.

The Jets signed Justin Fields to a two-year, $40M contract this past offseason, but that experience failed, with the former first-round pick averaging 139.9 passing yards per game. He hasn't played since Nov. 13 and is currently dealing with a knee injury, while his replacement, veteran Tyrod Taylor (groin), was injured in Week 14. Losing their final three games could be the best thing for the Jets, who should be prioritizing draft position above all else.