3 dark horse quarterback options for Commanders this offseason

The rumors haven’t even kicked into high gear and Washington Commanders fans just want the quarterback search to be over already.

I personally love the NFL offseason and all of the rumors/drama that comes with it, but it’s admittedly getting a little exhausting seeing the fan base bicker about which signal callers they want Washington to pursue.

Based on what we’ve seen, some folks won’t even entertain options if their name isn’t Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson.

We fully appreciate setting high standards, but there’s a distinct difference between setting a high bar and being unrealistic, and adding a generational QB, especially one you didn’t draft and have to go out and trade for, is ridiculously complicated.

Since there’s no way to know how the QB market will unfold, we thought it’d be a good idea to highlight some dark horse options for Washington.

3 dark horse QB options for the Commanders

3. Jordan Love

Before you come for our heads, let’s paint you a scenario. Instead of spending the No. 11 overall pick on a Malik Willis or Kenny Pickett, why not trade a mid-round pick (nothing more than a third given he’s only made one start) for Jordan Love, who would probably be the top quarterback in this draft anyway?

Want a fun fact? Love doesn’t turn 24 until November and he’s still younger than Pickett, who stayed in college for five years and will turn 24 in June. In other words, Love should be viewed on a similar playing field to this year’s prospects.

There’s always a chance Aaron Rodgers leaves (more on that in a minute), but the latest reports suggests the Packers are prepared to go all in on the back-to-back MVP, “spending as close to the cap this year and spreading it into future years as much as possible,” as ESPN’s Adam Schefter put it over the weekend.

To translate, Green Bay has zero intention of starting Love in 2022. While being a backup quarterback is one of the cooler jobs in sports, the 2020 first-rounder has attempted just 62 passes over his first two seasons.

Sitting for a third year behind Rodgers would be detrimental to his development, so the Packers (assuming Rodgers stays) should do right by Love and look to move him. At 6-foot-4 with a strong arm and decent mobility, he might be more valuable than using an early pick on Willis, Pickett, Sam Howell, Matt Corral or Desmond Ridder.

Given Love is one the books for just $3.377 million next season, Washington could turn around and sign a veteran free agent if they find the Utah State product needs more time to refine his mechanics.