At least five teams are in dire need of a quarterback upgrade. More than that are considering one.

As per offseason tradition in the NFL, demand far outpaces supply in free agency and the draft in 2026.

Starting at the top of the current draft order, the Raiders (No. 1 overall), Jets (No. 2), Cardinals (No. 3), Browns (No. 6), Dolphins (11) are most desperate for a fix. A few have veterans on hand that haven’t worked out with a previous coaching regime.

Keeping them around under the guise of a fresh start might become reality because, frankly, what else are they going to do?

Count the Steelers, Vikings, Saints — no, I’m not yet calling Tyler Shough a bust — and Falcons are all on shaky turf at the QB spot. They might not be defined as desperate, but could find themselves knocking on that door.

Unless an outfit truly covets Kirk Cousins, Justin Fields or Geno Smith, where can they turn? These are the five best quarterbacks available this offseason.

Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

The No. 1 pick barring a calamity of a pro day or Godfather trade offer for the top spot from a team not planning to secure the Heisman Trophy winner, Mendoza might be the second coming of Cousins or an off-brand Joe Burrow. 

Neither would be the worst-case scenario for the Raiders or Jets, who are decades into swinging and missing at quarterback and have the assets to make the match a reality.

Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

For a player yet to prove he’s a franchise-caliber quarterback at 29 years old, we know there will be seats available on the Murray bandwagon until he wins consistently. 

But if your alternative today is hoping Michael Penix Jr. avoid another round of Operation in Atlanta or banking on JJ McCarthy suddenly finding it, it could be time to circle Murray’s name on the QB board. He’s all but talked his way out of Arizona. The new coaching staff of the Cardinals is better off to break here and begin anew. Can Murray pull a Sam Darnold with the Vikings under Kevin O’Connell or experience a revival with the Dolphins as a Tua replacement?

Ty Simpson, Alabama

He isn’t the classic boom-or-bust quarterback prospect because of his age and plus decision-making and processing from the pocket. Even so, nobody can argue Simpson as a proven or complete product after one season as a starter. The cost and value debates will rage on this prospect and any other under consideration as the second quarterback off the board in the 2026 draft. He doesn’t have a first-round grade for every team and there will be arguments made for draft prospects with higher upside.

Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins

Wonder aloud how the Dolphins might reconcile the bill inherited by the new regime in Miami, which calls for a $99.2 cap hit in 2026, but don’t doubt they are ready to let him walk. 

It’s highly unlikely a team wants to trade for Tagovailoa but he’ll get a look as a QB2 for a team unsettled at the position. He could compete with McCarthy if the Vikings don’t find a better solution, head to Arizona with an endorsement from Mike McDaniel to Mike LaFleur, or get a Russell Wilson-type audition as a short-term starter with the Falcons while Penix Jr. heals from an ACL tear. HIs game is built for the dome home field.

Aaron Rodgers, unrestricted free agent

Another one-year fix who could be back in Pittsburgh or try a reunion with Nathaniel Hackett with the Cardinals. 

His best play if the Vikings are willing would be Minnesota. As long as the Vikings have the line in front of him, Rodgers flinging the ball to Justin Jefferson in a division with the Packers would be the fitting curtain call to his prolific career.

Third-seeded Daniil Medvedev won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Saturday when Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands was forced to withdraw due to a hamstring injury in the United Arab Emirates.

Griekspoor defeated another Russian, fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev, in straight sets in the semifinals on Friday but fought through the injury suffered in that match. He said after his victory that he would have retired from the match if he had lost the second set.

For Medvedev, this is his 23rd career title and second in Dubai (2023). This is the first time he has won a tournament for a second time.

He defeated top-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in the semifinal and didn’t drop a set in the tournament.

“Not how I want to win a final. Hoping the injury for (Griekspoor) is not too bad and wishing him a speedy recovery,” Medvedev wrote on X.

–Field Level Media

Arsenal will look to move another step closer to their first Premier League title in 22 years Sunday when they host a Chelsea side managing its own improved run of form under new manager Liam Rosenior.

The Gunners (18-3-7, 61 points) maintained their five-point lead over Manchester City with an emphatic 4-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday, though City still possess a match in hand.

Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres each had a brace as Arsenal pulled away following a first half that ended tied at 1-1.

The performance took Gyokeres to 10 league goals in his first English campaign after his move from Sporting Lisbon this summer. Five of those have come in the Sweden international’s last five league appearances.

“Well, I think one thing leads to another,” explained Gunners manager Mikel Arteta. “When you score the first one, the performance is good, you have more time with your teammates, you understand the games, the opponents, the league better, everything helps.”

The result stretched Arsenal’s winning run to five matches in the North London Derby and their unbeaten streak to eight. Against Chelsea, the Gunners have gone 10 unbeaten while winning seven in all competitions, including both legs of their EFL Cup semifinal in November and January.

But fifth-place Chelsea (12-6-9, 45 points) have looked improved under incoming manager Rosenior, even if the decision to replace Enzo Maresca caught most off guard.

The Blues have posted an 8-2-2 mark under his direction in all competitions, with those EFL Cup losses the only defeats. In the league, Chelsea have taken 14 points from six games, a pace that would see them above Arsenal if it were extended over the whole season.

Still, they begin three points behind Manchester United in the quest for the final UEFA Champions League spot next season. And it may get tougher from here, with Aston Villa, Newcastle and a round-of-16 UCL clash with Paris Saint-Germain looming.

Rosenior doesn’t see it that way.

“The Premier League is so difficult every week. Every week, the challenges that you face, the different tactical problems that you have, the physicality of the league, I don’t judge one game as harder than the other,” he said. “For me, I’m happy with this group, I’m happy with the start that we’ve made. We’ve won eight out of 12, it should be 10 out of 12. That’s not bad.”

Rosenior also confirmed captain Reece James will be available after the defensive midfielder sustained a minor injury in last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Burnley.

–Field Level Media

–Field Level Media