Kansas City Chiefs GM John Dorsey said he would take backup QB Chase Daniel back at the right price but it's also obvious that Daniel, 29, wants to be a starter in the league. But what if there are no starting jobs for Daniel?
Teams generally don't rely on the free agent market for starting quarterback help so there aren't many teams that have a wide open quarterback depth chart right now. I looked at a few teams around the league who could be looking for a starting quarterback and I think Chase's best case scenario is the opportunity to become a bridge quarterback for a team who might be drafting a quarterback at some point or don't have an immediate answer for 2016.
Cleveland Browns: Yes, they need a quarterback (sorry, Johnny Manziel) but it seems more likely they would draft a quarterback at No. 2. Maybe they need a bridge quarterback? I could see that. Hue Jackson can work wonders with smart, prepared quarterbacks.
New York Jets: They're probably going to re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick, which kinda puts them in quarterback purgatory. While Fitzpatrick played well, do you want to pay him $15-plus million per year or whatever it will take to sign him? Sam Bradford got $18 million per year over two years. Fitzpatrick isn't that far behind. Daniel is a much cheaper, potentially more efficient option.
Houston Texans: Chiefs fans remember Brian Hoyer. The Texans need a quarterback of the future. They're drafting 22nd so it's no guarantee they get one of the top three quarterbacks in the draft. This team is ready to win now as evidenced by last season's playoff run. The question is whether Chase is a better option than Brian Hoyer. Experience goes to Hoyer and they're a similar age (Hoyer is 30) but Daniel, with less playing time, has that unknown upside to him. You can sell hope in the NFL. If I'm Texans coach Bill O'Brien, I'm thinking about this one long and hard. Even if the Texans do draft someone, they need to consider a bridge quarterback. Assuming it's not at the expense of the Chiefs, I would love to see Chase go here.
Denver Broncos: Damn it, Chase, if you do this we will be so angry with you. Don't even think about it.
LA Rams: Similar situation as the Texans. Nick Foles is there but he's not the answer. Is Chase a better option than Nick Foles? Can Chase be a bridge quarterback to them drafting one (assuming Jeff Fisher, at some point, drafts a quarterback)?
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So I see Chase's options as 1) find a job as a starting quarterback right away 2) wait for an injury 3) come back to the Chiefs. Selfishly, I would vote No. 3. Alex Smith has only missed one game due to injury in the past three seasons but surely that will change at some point.