the 3 biggest qb signings of the 2026 offseason

As the NFL season approaches, fantasy football enthusiasts are gearing up for one of the most exciting times of the year: the draft. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a newcomer to the fantasy football scene, having a solid strategy can make all the difference in your league. In this article, we will cover the top 3 quarterback signings from this offseason and whether any of them are worth paying attention to for this fantasy season.

1. Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins have made headlines by signing quarterback Malik Willis to a 3 year, $67.5 million contract from the Green Bay Packers, including $45 million guaranteed. Willis, known for his exciting play style and strong arm, is an intriguing flyer taken by the Dolphins as they look to find a new franchise quarterback after releasing Tua Tagavailoa. However, a combination a limited sample size over the past two years with the Packers and the considerable lack of weapons currently in the Dolphin's offense raises questions about his ability to take on a starting job.

Small Sample Size

Willis has shown flashes of potential in his brief 3 starts with the Packers, but his overall experience is minimal. This small sample size makes it difficult to gauge his true capabilities as a starting quarterback. He has demonstrated mobility and the ability to make plays outside the pocket, as well as the ability to effectively manage the offense, however many still question whether he'll be able to continue to carry this momentum into a much more chaotic Dolphins organization.

Lack of supporting cast

Malik Willis finds himself in a challenging position on offense, lacking much competent wide receiver play following the release of Tyreek Hill and the trade of Jaylen Waddle, which stripped the team of two of the NFL's top receiving threats, leaving Tutu Atwell as the Wr1 in Miami preceding the draft. Furthermore, the Dolphins have lacked depth at tight end for multiple years now, leaving Willis with only De'Von Achane as a viable weapon. So despite the immense pressure on the young quarterback to succeed and burst onto the scene, fans should definitely not count out a potentially disastrous season with a significantly weakened supporting cast being the main reason behind it, also meaning you should absolutely not have Malik Willis as the only quarterback on your roster throughout the season.

Fantasy outlook

Malik Willis should not be the only quarterback on your roster, as his current situation holds too much risk to make him your sole quarterback. Instead, he's better suited as more of a late-round flyer or a potential waiver wire pickup. While he possesses intriguing athleticism and upside, relying solely on him could be risky given his limited experience and the uncertainty surrounding his supporting cast. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on the Dolphins's draft and the weapons they add to the offense from it, as his upside could jump significantly if the Dolphins make significant additions through the draft and make Willis a sneaky good Qb1 for the 2026-2027 season.

2. Kyler Murray, Minnesota vikings

After being released by the Arizona Cardinals, quarterback Kyler Murray has signed a veteran minimum contract with the Minnesota Vikings. This unexpected move marks a new chapter in Murray's career as he looks to revitalize his young career in a different environment. The Vikings, after a temultous 2025-2026 season with the rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy, seemed like a perfect fit for the former 1st overall pick as they looked to bring in some competition for the Qb1 job in Minnesota this season. Murray has expressed his expectation to win the job and lead the team, hopefully being able to use his exciting play style and abilities to improve the Qb play in Minnesota and bring the Vikings back to the playoffs. And for a veteran minimum contract, Murray could very well prove to be one of the best value contracts of this offseason if he reverts back to his pro bowl form.

Steal of the offseason?

Kyler Murray's relatively inexpensive contract could emerge as one of the best value deals of the offseason if he delivers strong performances this season. Everybody knows that Kyler Murray at his best is worth leagues above a minimum contract, as he showed when he signed a 5 year $230 million extension with the Cardinals back in 2022, the question is whether he'll be able to return back to that level of play after dealing with nagging lower body injuries throughout 2025-2026. The affordability of his contract has allowed the Vikings to allocate money to fixing up other positions throughout the team, hopefully enhancing their overall competitiveness for a potential deep playoff run this season.

Consider Injury History

Kyler Murray has faced an extensive history of lower body injuries that have raised concerns about his longevity and mobility as a quarterback. Notably, he suffered a torn ACL in 2022, which ended his 2022 season early, and then in 2025, he encountered a Lisfranc foot injury in week 5 that would end his season and potentially leave lasting impacts on his body that could hinder his effectiveness due to his heavy reliance on agility and scrambling to extend plays beyond the pocket. It's important to keep this history of injuries in mind when considering Murray to lead your fantasy team, likely meaning a backup Qb should be taken as a necessary contingency plan.

Major supporting staff upgrades

On paper, Kyler Murray is set to thrive in Minnesota with an improved coaching staff compared to Arizona led by famed quarterback whisper Kevin O'Connell and a strong supporting cast including star wide receivers in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, along with viable running backs in Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason. Fans are hoping that O'Connell's system will unlock Murray's full potential and revitalize his career. A key element in this revival will be his connection with star receiver Justin Jefferson, who's looking to have a similar bounce back season after a down 2025. A connection between Murray and Jefferson could easily boost Murray into having top 10 Qb production this season.

Fantasy outlook

Overall, Kyler Murray can definitely still be viewed as a QB1 due to his proven past production and tremendous rushing upside, allowing him to rack up points both in the air and on the ground. His high ceiling makes him a fairly good risk to take in fantasy football. As far as quarterbacks go in fantasy drafts, Kyler should likely be drafted in the back chunk of quarterbacks selected in the draft, being somewhere around rounds 7-8, so he's definitely a worthy buy low candidate this year. However, it's definitely important to have a backup plan in case Murray doesn't pan out, whether it's due to injuries or just bad quarterback play. If you plan on having Kyler Murray as your Qb1, you should absolutely stash a solid backup quarterback just in case, which you likely can find on the waiver wire after your draft.

3. Tua Tagovailoa, Atlanta falcons

Tua Tagovailoa's recent signing with the Atlanta Falcons marks a significant change in his career, as he transitions from being the former franchise quarterback of the Miami Dolphins to competing with Michael Penix Jr. in Atlanta on a veteran minimum contract for the Qb1 spot on the Falcons. This move not only represents somewhat of a make or break year for Tua, but it also provides Atlanta with some solid quarterback competition after Penix Jr. had a disappointing sophomore year in 2025.

Veteran minimum value

Tua Tagovailoa's decision to sign a minimum contract, much like Kyler Murray's new contract with Vikings, presents a unique opportunity for him to exceed his contractual value and over perform this year, as he's proven to be able to in the past which netted him a massive 4 year $212 million extension with the Dolphins, which we all know didn't work out well at all. This situation thus offers similar upside to what we mentioned in Kyler Murray's section, as the Falcons cheap quarterback situation allows them to allocate more money to covering other positions on the team through free agency.

Potential stash viability and injury concerns

Tua finds himself in an interesting situation in Atlanta, because even if he doesn't secure the starting Qb1 role to start the season, he could easily find himself starting a handful of games throughout the season due to the many concerns with Michael Penix Jr.'s injury history. Because of these concerns, Tua may very well turn out to be a valuable stash quarterback that can produce well as a waiver wire stash. However, one should also note that Tua has considerable questions about his durability as well, largely stemming from his extensive concussion history which could easily cut his season short as well, backup or not.

Fantasy outlook

For now, Tua's fantasy outlook remains uncertain and will depend on whether he wins the QB1 position in Atlanta. If he emerges as the starter, he could present an excellent buy-low opportunity, likely available in the later rounds (10-12) of your draft. On the other hand, if he fails to secure the starting job, he may serve as a good waiver wire stash, especially as a backup option should the injury prone Penix Jr. face any injuries during the season. This dual potential makes Tua an intriguing player to monitor as the season approaches.