Not every NFL offseason features a bevy of quarterback competitions to track, but this one will. Several former starters switched teams during the early offseason, including Geno Smith, Kirk Cousins, Tua Tagovailoa, and Kyler Murray. <\/p>\n
Smith is expected to start for the New York Jets following his trade from the Las Vegas Raiders, though New York did take a fourth-round flier on Clemson’s\u00a0Cade Klubnik<\/a>. <\/p>\n Tagovailoa, meanwhile, will compete with Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who is recovering from a season-ending knee injury. Murray will compete with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy for the Minnesota Vikings gig. Most expect Murray to beat out McCarthy, who played poorly in 2025, but Minnesota continues to insist it’s an open competition. <\/p>\n “Training camp’s open,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said, per The Athletic’s Alec Lewis<\/a>. “I want to see these guys in very, very unique and difficult circumstances elevate their games to help the Minnesota Vikings.”<\/p>\n Cousins took Smith’s place in Las Vegas and is expected to be the Week 1 starter, though he’s also merely a placeholder for No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza<\/a>. While Mendoza isn’t likely to steal the starting job away from Cousins in camp, his progress will be worth tracking. <\/p>\n The Arizona Cardinals, meanwhile, brought back Jacoby Brissett, who started 12 games in 2025. However, they also added Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck<\/a> to the QB room. <\/p>\n Like Mendoza, Beck could eventually be the future for his team. <\/p>\n “I don’t know about Week 1 unless something crazy happens, but he definitely has a chance to be a guy for sure,” Cardinals tight end Trey McBride told Bussin’ With the Boys (h\/t ProFootballTalk’s Josh Alper<\/a>). <\/p>\n