Nfl Combine: Kyler Murray or Tua Tagovailoa? Will 49ers get a convincing offer for Mac Jones?
As front-office executives and player representatives meet across lobbies, hotel rooms and hallways of the NFL scouting combine, the annual tradition has returned and conversations are swirling at the nfl combine. Speculation about teams’ next moves and players’ destinations is running alongside concrete discussions as league decision-makers and agents test possibilities.
Nfl Combine daily meetups
With an unusual free-agent quarterback market shaping up, delegates are breaking down options and gauging appetite. The Tennessee Titans’ 2022 third-round selection is being described as the belle of the ball among quarterbacks currently set to hit free agency: Malik Willis. Evaluators point to Willis’ two seasons in Green Bay as evidence of a quarterback who could maintain production in spot play, whether a Jordan Love injury demanded Willis come in for a series, the end of a game he didn’t start or multiple weeks as a starter.
Malik Willis market and salary
Executives remain split on what Willis can command. One NFC executive said they would be surprised if Willis’ average annual salary hit $30 million, while an executive from another NFC team said they would be surprised if Willis’ salary doesn’t hit $30 million. An AFC executive raised another factor: Willis could choose the highest bidder, but his two years in Tennessee without much opportunity showed him what it’s like to be in an environment not set up for quarterback success. That could push him away from a Justin Fields-like move — in which the Jets paid Fields handsomely last offseason but lacked a helpful ecosystem — and toward a move more like what Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold did by joining teams more ready to win.
Teams and coaching movement
Evaluators initially pegged Willis to the Miami Dolphins as former Packers brass became their general manager (Jon-Eric Sullivan) and head coach (Jeff Hafley). Arizona also raised eyebrows when Mike LaFleur, brother of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, took the job. Arizona has more talent offensively than some suitors, but evaluators say neither Arizona nor Miami feels fully ready to thrive right away.
Kirk Cousins release confirmed
On the veteran front, Atlanta Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham confirmed Tuesday that the team would release Kirk Cousins on March 11 and said, "we won’t re-sign Kirk. " Expect Cousins to interest suitors, whether the Minnesota Vikings looking to pair J. J. McCarthy with a veteran, or the New York Jets and head coach Aaron Glenn, whose multiyear future may not be guaranteed.
Evaluators’ assessments and reactions
An assistant coach who faced Cousins this past season said Cousins looked better in 2025 than 2024, with more time removed from his 2023 Achilles tear. "They were functional, they moved the ball well, " the assistant said. "That four-game win streak and including winning against the Rams, that was not a fluke. " One practical reason the Jets might be interested: Cousins would immediately raise their floor, perhaps bridging the gap until a 2027 quarterback draft class deeper than this year's helps New York's ceiling.
Conversations at the combine are fluid and many threads are still being tested. Teams are meeting in Indianapolis, and much of the speculation and negotiating is expected to reach its peak in teams' meetings this week. The Jets hired Frank Reich to coordina
As the nfl combine progresses, team evaluations, salary expectations and coaching changes will continue to shape where top free-agent quarterbacks land.
