Baseball is starting back up, the NBA and NHL are heading down the home stretch of their respective seasons, the UFC just had one of it’s biggest pay-per-views of all time, yet somehow the NFL remains the headline of the American sports world. Peyton Manning just announced on Sunday that he is calling it quits after 17 seasons and a storybook Super Bowl win this past February, putting the Broncos in a very unique spot. If they plan on repeating as champs, first and foremost, they need to settle their quarterback situation. With Peyton riding off into the sunset and backup Brock Osweiler set to hit the open market, the Broncos are now one of many NFL teams whose future fate may hinge on this upcoming free agency period. Listed below are the top-5 quarterbacks to hit the open market without any sort of tag designation.

1. Brock Osweiler

The aforementioned Mr. Osweiler enters 2016 as the game’s top free agent quarterback based on age, potential, and size. He did a solid job during Manning’s absence this past season, leading the Broncos to a 5-2 record, while completing 61 percent of his passes for nearly 2,000 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions. There will be plenty of suitors for Brock’s services, however, the question is at what price? With only seven career starts under his belt, $15-plus million per year might be too rich for many NFL teams. In reality what it comes down to is that everyone needs a quarterback. If you don’t have one, you won’t be successful. Osweiler showed flashes during his brief time in 2015, so expect him to get paid despite a lack of proven experience.

2. Ryan Fitzpatrick

The Bearded Wonder surprised everyone in 2015 by throwing for nearly 4,000 yards, setting a Jets single-season record for passing touchdowns with 31, and by leading the team to a 10-6 record. He enters free agency as really the 1A quarterback in the class, but based on his ever-increasing age and potential one-year-wonder syndrome, Osweiler gets the top nod over Fitzy. He might end up being the most sought after QB on the market, as his past season with the Jets proved that he has the leadership qualities and moxie to win some football games in this league.

3. Colt McCoy

The University of Texas legend has carved out a nice niche for himself as a backup QB in this league. Many will consider him the third best free agent option behind Osweiler and Fitzpatrick. However, he will be the first on the list as mainly a backup option. The Redskins are the front-runners to retain his services, but expect a desperate team like Dallas to be hot in pursuit of McCoy – a Texas bred and schooled kid with veteran sensibilities.

4. Matt Hasselbeck

Hasselbeck did a wonderful job as the Colts backup this season, but at 40 years old , it would be tough for a team to enter the season relying upon him as their starting quarterback. While the Colts would love to retain his services, Andrew Luck will be back next season and paying premium money for a backup QB might not work in their budget. Expect plenty of teams to be going after the quality backup looking for his veteran leadership and presence in the locker room. 

5. Chase Daniel

At 29, Daniel has bounced around a bit in this league and has learned a lot of things. He’s not what you would call a veteran of the game, however his experience under a lot of good quarterbacks and coaching staffs make him a candidate to be a breakout free agent in this class. He’s good above the shoulders, can read defenses well, and is a better athlete than you would expect. Don’t be surprised if a team signs him this offseason with a chance to compete for the starting job out of camp.

Notably Omitted: Case Keenum

I left Keenum off this list because although he’s a free agent, both he and the Rams are treating the situation like he is the unquestioned starter headed into next year. Expect him to re-up with Los Angeles soon, especially now that Peyton Manning elected to retire rather than usher football back into Hollywood.