NFL free agency is officially set to get kicked off in less than a week, with the legal tampering period opening up on March 10. That means, the Las Vegas Raiders' quest for a starting quarterback heats up in a big way.
Already having been in whispers when it comes to quarterbacks like Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers, the Raiders definitely have options. Stafford, of course, committed to stay in Los Angeles. Rodgers might end up with the New York Giants.
But, the Raiders still have options: Jameis Winston, potentially Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and, someone many outlets call the top free agent in this year's class, Sam Darnold.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Minnesota Vikings are not likely using the franchise tag on Darnold, which would give him the green light to enter the open market.
While Schefter also noted the Vikings hope to bring him back, there is no guarantee. With Darnold heading to free agency, he will be able to negotiate with any team he'd like, including the Raiders.
Sam Darnold might be the perfect free agency signing for Las Vegas
Is Darnold guaranteed to repeat what he did last year in Minnesota? Absolutely not.
But, the Raiders have enough cap space to sign Darnold to a front-loaded deal where he's able to make a ton of money in Year 1 and, beyond 2025, maybe the Raiders have some options.
If Las Vegas is able to land a quarterback with their first-round pick, this year, then Darnold becomes even more valuable. He's got the experience. He's more than capable as a quarterback you can win with. He's going to give you enough to work with every week.
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At the same time, he might not be the long-term answer, and that's okay. Should Vegas end up with a quarterback like Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart, either one of them would give Darnold some healthy competition throughout training camp with the assumption that the veteran still has a strangle hold on the job.
In 2026, though, maybe the Raiders start looking ahead. If Darnold is given a front-loaded deal and makes a chunk of money in 2025, then Vegas could do right by him and cut him loose after just one season if they felt confident with someone like Sanders or Dart (or even Jalen Milroe, Quinn Ewers, etc.) heading into their second season after sitting as a rookie.
There are still a lot of options for the Raiders to not only get their starter, but to install some healthy, friendly competition to try and get the best out of their quarterback situation.