Detroit Lions: 3 2022 free agent quarterbacks to bring in for competition

2. Tyrod Taylor

Taylor feels like the quarterback every team he’s on is actively trying to replace, with some doses of bad luck mixed in. With the Bills in 2017, Sean McDermott benched him for Nathan Peterman. In Cleveland the following year, he was injured and a rookie Baker Mayfield took over. With the Chargers last year, an incident with a pain-killing injection for injured ribs opened the door for Justin Herbert.

Taylor landed with the Houston Texans last offseason, and an injury cost him six games this season after a promising Week 1. Now a little banged up again with a wrist injury, Houston has benched him favor of rookie Davis Mills as they ramp up their pursuit of the Lions for the No.1 pick in April’s draft.

Taylor won’t find a clear-cut starting opportunity in free agency. He’ll be signed as a capable backup behind a locked-in starter (or, along the same line, a young quarterback who will be the favorite to start), or he’ll be signed to compete with another veteran who is not going to be promised the starting job.

Taylor will be an interesting option for a few teams. How high the Lions are on that hypothetical list is hard to know, but there’s definitely a scenario where they’ll pursue him.