The 2022 NFL offseason is poised to be an active one. Here I will predict ten quarterback trades that some of us would like to see happen.
It seems as if every NFL offseason is better than the one before, and 2022 is set to be extremely active. There are a plethora of teams with quarterback questions. Some teams have a decent quarterback that they don’t know what to do with, and others have no long-term answer at all.
We are poised to see several franchise-caliber quarterbacks find new teams for 2022, and this article will look at 10 crazy quarterback trades before the 2022 offseason.
Some of the names that could be moved include Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins, Derek Carr, Baker Mayfield, and Carson Wentz. There are obviously way more that could happen, but there are also way less that could happen too.
As fans of the NFL, I think most of us would prefer to see a lot of activity on this front, especially with it being the quarterback position.
So, let’s take a look at 10 hypothetical and crazy quarterback trades for the 2022 offseason.
10 Crazy Quarterback Trades for the 2022 NFL Offseason
1. Derek Carr to the Washington Football Team
The Raiders made the playoffs with a 10-7 record, so one would think they would leave most everything in place and try and get better for 2022, right?
Wrong. The Raiders fired general manager Mike Mayock recently, and it seems as if they are not totally sold on interim head coach Rich Bisaccia. There are a lot of unknowns in Las Vegas right now, and Derek Carr is one of them.
Carr is entering the last year of his contract and is in line to sign a massive extension, but it remains to be seen if the Raiders are willing to do that. It isn’t likely that he suits up for the Raiders without an extension, either.
So, in this scenario, Carr is shipped to Washington to be the QB1, while Taylor Heinicke slides into the backup role. This would give Washington their quarterback of the future and allow them to be competitive in the NFC East.
As for the Raiders, they could keep Marcus Mariota, start him in 2022, and assess their situation from there.
I think this would be a decent trade for both sides, as the Football Team gets their quarterback and the Raiders would get a bit of draft capital in return.
Crazy NFL QB trade in 2022 #2: Jimmy Garoppolo to the Carolina Panthers
It’s clear that Trey Lance is set to take over for the San Francisco 49ers in 2022. He’s played well in his limited appearances and fits the Shanahan offensive scheme perfectly.
Jimmy Garoppolo is perhaps one of the most frustrating quarterbacks in the NFL. One minute he looks elite, and the next minute he looks like he couldn’t start for my local high school team.
Jimmy G. is painfully average but presents an upgrade over anything the Panthers currently have.
As Carolina searches for a new offensive coordinator and hits the reset button on offense, they could at least enjoy average but efficient QB play from Garoppolo, who would have some decent weapons in Carolina.
With Matt Ryan and Tom Brady getting older, and an unknown quarterback situation in New Orleans, Carolina could be poised to have the most stability of their other NFC South rivals.
Sam Darnold will be on the roster for 2022 and would serve as the team’s backup, which is probably where he will remain for the rest of his career.
Carolina needs to figure something out in 2022, or head coach Matt Rhule is gone.
Crazy NFL QB Trades for 2022 #3: Carson Wentz to the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers, with the soon to be retired Ben Roethlisberger, find themselves in quarterback uncertainty for the first time in a while.
Carson Wentz was traded to the Indianapolis Colts from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021 and had a decent season, or so we thought.
While he was very good statistically, Wentz often made back-breaking mistakes and struggled to perform when it mattered most, as evidenced by their week 18 performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Since quarterbacks are in demand, some team will want to take Wentz if the Colts elect to move on.
Wentz and Big Ben share a lot of similarities, so I think Wentz would fit right in.
He may never regain his 2017 form, but Wentz is solid, and solid might be good enough for some teams.
If the Steelers can get their defense back in check, and see an improvement in their offensive line and Najee Harris, they’d be fine with Wentz under center.
10 NFL Quarterback Trades for 2022
4 & 5: Baker Mayfield to the Minnesota Vikings and Kirk Cousins to the Cleveland Browns
Baker Mayfield is interesting, to say the least. He exploded onto the scene his rookie season, had a massive letdown in year two, picked it back up in year three, and wet the bed in year four.
At this point, Mayfield has given no indication he can be a long-term answer, but, again, even if the Browns don’t think he is, some team will take a chance on him, and I think the Minnesota Vikings could.
Since the Vikings fired both Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer, Kirk Cousins’ future is clearly up in the air.
The new regime could elect to keep Cousins and have some stability at the position while they figure out a long-term solution, or they can elect to tear it all down and trade away some of their assets.
Cousins enjoyed success when Kevin Stefanski was his offensive coordinator, so I think him going to Cleveland makes a lot of sense.
The Browns have what the Vikings haven’t had during his tenure: a solid offensive line.
All things considered, I think this would be a good trade for both sides; the Vikings get a younger, higher ceiling player they can work with, and the Browns get a consistent and efficient signal-caller.
10 Crazy NFL QB Trades for 2022
6 & 7: Deshaun Watson to the Philadelphia Eagles and Jalen Hurts to the Houston Texans
I understand Deshaun Watson’s off-the-field issues may never allow him to play football again, but I do truly believe some team will trade for his services.
The Eagles wanted Watson at the beginning before the off-field stuff came out, and they figure to be in on him once again if he gets those issues settled. Jalen Hurts is clearly limited as a passer, and the Eagles need to be more dynamic throwing the football.
Deshaun Watson, in 2020, threw for nearly 5,000 yards, so we know he has no issues there.
Watson would give the Eagles the best quarterback in the division by a mile, and the Texans would get someone who they could build around, or at least keep the ship steady until they find someone else they like more.
Davis Mills was solid in 2021 as a rookie, and he may be better than Jalen Hurts, but Hurts has the highest ceiling, and that’s the main selling point with him. The Texans have a long way to go, but Hurts could help push them faster along their rebuilding path.
Deshaun Watson make the Eagles instant NFC contenders, and I think Howie Roseman wouldn’t hesitate to make this trade happen.
Crazy NFL QB Trade #8: Gardner Minshew to the New Orleans Saints
How about this? The Saints signed Jameis Winston in 2020 to backup Drew Brees, and he was named the starter for 2021. They went 5-2 with Winston before he suffered a torn ACL, and he had a 14:3 TD:INT ratio, which is very good.
Maybe Winston did turn a corner with his interception problem? While I do think the Saints will retain him, trading for another quality veteran makes a lot of sense, as there’s no telling how he will recover from his injury.
I am very high on Minshew; I think he should be starting somewhere, and I do think he could beat Winston out for the starting job in New Orleans.
Minshew’s skillset would fit nicely in New Orleans, and I think the two could enjoy a lot of success together.
Plus, the Saints need to solidify this position as soon as possible, so they don’t fall into quarterback purgatory like so many other teams are.
Gardner Minshew is a good quarterback and would succeed as a Saint.
Crazy NFL QB trade #9: Russell Wilson to the New York Giants
Finally, the Giants bring stability to their quarterback position, as Russell Wilson goes from coast to coast and ends up in New York.
Wilson is apparently intrigued by the possibility of being a Giant, so the trade makes sense.
Plus, the Giants have two picks in the top 10 in the upcoming NFL draft, and Seattle could use those to rebuild after Wilson’s departure.
Russell Wilson would bring the Giants’ offense back to life. Their defense is solid, and their main issue would then be fixing their offensive line, but having an elite quarterback playing behind it will take some pressure off.
The G-Men have nice weapons, including Saquon Barkley, Kenny Golladay, and Kadarius Toney.
Russell Wilson would have no issue getting all involved in the offense, and would allow the Giants to be competitive again.
Plus, his wife, Ciara, who is a celebrity, would surely enjoy living in New York.
Crazy QB Trade #10: Aaron Rodgers to the Denver Broncos
I had to save the best for last, obviously. Aaron Rodgers was clearly unhappy last offseason, and many of us genuinely thought he was going to be traded, but the Packers and his party agreed to reassess his situation after the season if he still wanted a trade.
You would think, if the Packers get bounced out of the playoffs, he might want a trade.
Conversely, if they win the Super Bowl, I could see him staying, or simply retiring.
Well, let’s say the 49ers upset them this weekend in Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers officially requests a trade, and the Denver Broncos come calling.
The Broncos are truly a quarterback away. I know that phrase is overused within the NFL landscape, but it’s true for Denver.
Their defense is great and offensive weapons are excellent. They are legitimately missing a quarterback, and being able to land a high-quality one makes the Broncos Super Bowl contenders.
Aaron Rodgers being able to play Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert twice a year would be great for the NFL, and there aren’t a lot of other teams that could pull this trade off, and who have a roster that’s close to the Green Bay Packers talent-wise.