Not every team in the NFL has begun their OTA period, but there are some teams that have gotten this underway. Getting to the OTA portion of the offseason is almost an 'unofficial' kickoff of the bulk of the offseason activities.
Now that the NFL Draft and free agency is behind us, along with the schedule release, the main chunk of the league offseason is soon to roll out. In today's league, there isn't a more important position than quarterback, and that is further evidenced by teams consistently getting active at the position to try and find a legitimate solution.
Across the league, we do see a few quarterback competitions and a handful of passers who are under a ton of pressure. Let's talk about a few who have the most to gain as OTAs slowly begin.
These quarterbacks have the most to gain as OTAs slowly begin
Tua Tagovailoa, Atlanta Falcons
We can't pretend like Tua Tagovailoa hasn't been an efficient quarterback before. He had some insanely productive years with the Miami Dolphins and is a player who could be a top-13 starter if the situation is right.
Tagovailoa might be in an unofficial quarterback competition with Michael Penix Jr, who is working his way back from a torn ACL. For Tagovailoa, he's a more proven commodity and could absolutely win this starting job. If he does, he'd have an elite supporting cast with Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson, which might end up being a stronger cast than what he had with the Dolphins.
Given that the NFC South is a weaker division, there is a non-zero chance that Tagovailoa wins the job and plays quite well for Atlanta in what could be a much-needed bounce-back season. Tagovailoa signing with the Falcons could truly revive his career.
Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward was making some big-time throws down the stretch in his rookie season, and suddenly, Ward has a new wide receiver in Carnell Tate, and a great quarterback developer on his side in Brian Daboll, who has most recently worked with a young Jaxson Dart, who was quite productive as a rookie, and Josh Allen, who he was right next to during his development.
Ward has all the tools and traits to be a top quarterback, and while the Tennessee Titans are still a year away roster-wise, that shouldn't stop Ward from making a notable jump in year two and benefiting from this awesome coaching he suddenly has.
This is also clearly Ward's team - there isn't any question about it. It's all about him.
Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings
My personal opinion on the Kyler Murray situation is that there was some sort of back-door agreement that Murray would be starting for the team in 2026, despite the likely 'quarterback competition' we'll hear about all offseason.
Murray has been a functional quarterback his entire career, but he's never had the type of roster talent or coaching around him in Arizona as he'll have in Minnesota. Even having Justin Jefferson on offense is better than anything he had with the Cardinals.
He's got dual-threat ability and isn't some bad quarterback who is clinging to life. This could be an ideal spot for Murray to revive his career and hit his ceiling, which could be near a top-10 player at the position.
If there is a legitimate quarterback competition with JJ McCarthy, Murray being a seasoned veteran and having played a ton of football is to his benefit and would give him a major advantage, but I'd not be shocked if there was silent knowledge that this is going to be Murray's team. Getting on the field to build that much-needed chemistry is huge, and Murray heading to the Vikings could be the best thing for his future NFL career.
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