The quarterback market this coming offseason could get a bit insane, and these five teams are about to make a horrific QB decision. The 2025 NFL Draft class at the position is not expected to be very good, so teams may have to get a bit creative to try and fill their QB1 role, and there are a ton of teams who have uncertainty at QB.
The year to get a QB seemed to be in the 2024 NFL Draft, and even the 2026 NFL Draft class at the moment may yield a ton of viable NFL quarterback prospects. Each year, multiple teams make some insanely horrid QB decisions.
Let's look at five teams who are about to do the same in 2025.
5 NFL teams who are about to make an awful quarterback decision in 2025
San Francisco 49ers - Paying Brock Purdy
The San Francisco 49ers are probably going to pay Brock Purdy, and while Purdy is a good QB, he's right in the QB 'middle class' with guys like Tua Tagovailoa and Derek Carr, for example, who need quite a bit to go right around them to succeed.
The 49ers have no reason to pay this man over $50 million per year, which he could command. In fact, he's still under contract through 2025, so there isn't any sort of urgency to get it done, either. Overpaying for the 13th-best QB in the NFL is not how teams sustain success and win Super Bowls. This would be a bad move.
Tennessee Titans - Signing Kirk Cousins in free agency
Kirk Cousins is going to be starting for an NFL team in 2025, period. Another year removed from his Achilles injury could help Cousins get more of a physical presence back, and we already know that the Atlanta Falcons will be moving on from Cousins, who they signed to a $180 million deal last offseason.
The Tennessee Titans feel like a team that has no idea what they're doing at all, so them signing Kirk Cousins for a year or two seems probable. They benched Will Levis a couple of weeks ago, so it's not likely that Levis is starting for them in 2025. Kirk Cousins' only starting opportunity could also be in Tennessee, so it's kind of like a 'well, we have no other choice' situation for both teams.
New York Giants - Drafting Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward
From what I have been able to gather, neither Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward have a great shot at developing into frachise QBs in the NFL. And given how awful the New York Giants have been run for years now, who is to say they will bring in the right people to develop them? The Giants using their first-round pick on a Sander or Ward could turn out to be a massive dud that sets them back another three years.
Heck, the Giants might be better off 'tanking' in 2025 and preparing for an elite QB class in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Extending Russell Wilson
We have seen the issues with Russell Wilson as a starting QB over the last three games for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh can be a good team at best with Wilson under center, and he's just not nearly good enough to hang with the big-guns in the NFL anymore, but where else can the Steelers turn?
They may be left with no choice than to pay Wilson $30 million per year on a deal similar to what Baker Mayfield recently got. Pittsburgh would set themselves back a few more years with this move, as they would again be guaranteed nine or 10 wins, a Wild Card playoff spot, and a first-round loss.
That seems to be the new standard for the Steelers.
Cleveland Browns - Starting Deshaun Watson when he's healthy to return
The Cleveland Browns need to tell Deshaun Watson to just stay home. Tell him he's not going to be a part of the plan moving forward, and bring in some new faces at the position. Go sign a high-end backup and draft someone. The Browns won't do that and will likely give Watson the starting role back when he's healthy to return.
And it'll be more of the same when the Browns do hand the keys to Deshaun Watson. It's unfortunate for the fans, but that's what the Browns will do. They are poorly run, and while Kevin Stefanski is a very good head coach, he may have no choice or influence, as the decision could come from his bosses, if you catch my drift.