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These 5 actions can help protect your personal and financial data

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These 5 actions can help protect your personal and financial data
Elon Musk speaks during the first cabinet meeting hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump, at the White House in Washington, DC, U.S., February 26, 2025.
Brian Snyder | Reuters

Recent actions by the Department of Government Efficiency to access internal computer systems and databases at many federal government agencies, including the Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service, and Social Security Administration, have sparked debates about privacy and data security. 

“There’s always inherent risk in having sensitive information at a government agency because they’re ultimately responsible for protecting it and moderating who actually has access to it,” said Steve Grobman, chief technology officer at the cybersecurity firm McAfee.

DOGE is not a federal agency, and billionaire Elon Musk, whom President Donald Trump brought on board to implement the DOGE initiative, is not a federal official. Yet, since its establishment, DOGE has sought access to software and IT systems at federal government agencies to “maximize efficiency” and cut spending.

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Critics say there has been a lack of transparency about exactly how personal or financial information is being used and whether it is being kept secure — although Musk has said DOGE’s actions are “maximally transparent.” Meanwhile, several lawsuits have been filed to block DOGE’s access to sensitive personal data.

Cybersecurity experts say that protecting your personal and financial information should be part of a strategy to take care of your overall financial well-being, regardless of the political climate.

“For people who are concerned about the security of their data collected and stored by the federal government, our advice is the same as any other time or circumstance,” James  L. Lee, president of the non-profit Identity Theft Resource Center, said in an emailed statement. 

“There are actions you can and should take to protect your personal information, no matter what organization is collecting and storing it — from the corner market to local doctors to government agencies at all levels. Personal information is always at risk of identity misuse,” Lee said.

Here are five actions cybersecurity experts recommend you take now:

1. Freeze your credit

Ingwervanille | Moment | Getty Images

Freezing your credit will block access to your credit report and prevent anyone from opening new accounts in your name. Then, if someone gets your Social Security number or other private information, they can’t take out a loan or open a credit card.

You must contact all of the three major credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to freeze access to your credit with each. The process only takes a few minutes, and it’s free. Just make sure to temporarily unfreeze your credit before you apply for a new credit card, loan, or mortgage.

2. Review your credit reports

Take the time to review your credit reports from each of the credit reporting agencies to make sure there are no errors or signs of identity theft. You can get a free copy of your credit report from each of the bureaus weekly by going to annualcreditreport.com.

You may not need to check your reports every week, but it’s important to review your credit history at least quarterly to ensure there are no issues.

3. Download your Social Security statement

If you don’t have one already, create a “My Social Security” account on the Social Security Administration’s website to check your earnings records, get estimates of your monthly retirement benefits and manage current benefits. Review your statement, download a copy and contact the Social Security Administration if there are any mistakes. Establish your account now to ensure no one else does so in your name. 

“Keeping a local backup of your Social Security statement, credit history [and] student loan payments is always a good idea, and doubly so as the future is unclear at so many of the administering agencies,” Emory Roane, associate director of policy at the non-profit Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, said in an emailed statement.

4. Use a secure ID number when filing your tax return

The IRS allows consumers to proactively request an identity protection PIN (IP PIN) — a unique six-digit number — to use when filing your tax return. The IP PIN verifies your identity when you file an electronic or paper return. It prevents someone else from using your Social Security number to file a fake return, possibly stealing your refund. 

McAfee’s Grobman recommends that consumers make sure that “sensitive data that they have control of goes to the minimal number of places possible.” 

“Setting up multi-factor authentication, the various secure ID and PIN capabilities that the IRS offers, is absolutely critical to helping ensure that only you or your designated tax preparer is accessing that sensitive information on government systems,” he said.

5. Go beyond changing your password

Create a “passkey” for any online account that offers one for enhanced security. A passkey is a string of encrypted data that you can access with a face scan, fingerprint, or PIN. Use multi-factor authentication — like a password plus a code — if you can’t add a passkey. Don’t reuse passwords.

Instead, Lee, of the Identity Theft Resource Center, recommends you “use a password manager to create and remember a different password for every account. Google and Apple offer free password manager apps, and password managers are included in Safari, Chrome, Edge and other major web browsers.”

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New York City mayoral race heats up as Adams takes early shot at Cuomo, but also pulls some punches

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New York City mayoral race heats up as Adams takes early shot at Cuomo, but also pulls some punches

Announcing his bid to run for mayor of New York City over the weekend, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared that he would “save our city.”

On Monday, Mayor Eric Adams passed on several opportunities to punch back — but said he did agree with his fellow Democrat on one point.

“I do believe we need to be saved — from him,” Adams said at a City Hall news conference.

The comment was Adams’ first public criticism of Cuomo since the former governor launched his campaign Saturday with a 17-minute video that blasted the city’s leadership and described it as a threatening place where crime has spun out of control. It was also the public’s first preview at how the race between the two scandal-scarred politicians may look in the months until June’s Democratic primary election.

Asked whether sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo — and his administration’s undercounting of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes — were “disqualifying,” Adams responded that he doesn’t believe in disqualifying a person unless they do something “that’s really despicable.”

He said he had met with families of nursing home residents and that he believed the women who have made allegations against Cuomo. But, he said, those were issues Cuomo would have to answer for on the campaign trail.

Reached for comment, Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said: “We’ll let the voters decide.”

Adams was indicted last year in a sweeping bribery case in which federal prosecutors allege Adams accepted luxury travel perks and illegal campaign contributions. He has pleaded not guilty.

The incumbent’s woes deepened significantly this year after the U.S. Department of Justice moved to drop the case so Adams could help with Republican President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda, leaving open the possibility that the case could be reinstated at a future date.

Cuomo entered the race with an announcement that framed himself as an experienced moderate leader with the political knowhow to tackle the city’s most pressing issues.

But he has his own set of damaging baggage: Cuomo resigned in 2021 after a report from the state’s attorney general found that Cuomo sexually harassed at least 11 women.

He has also been criticized for his COVID-19 response, in particular a policy that early in the pandemic barred nursing homes from refusing to readmit coronavirus patients who were discharged from hospitals.

Cuomo and Adams are among several candidates in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary race, which given the city’s political bent, is widely viewed as the defining contest of the election. Also running in the primary is Comptroller Brad Lander, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, state Sen. Jessica Ramos, state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani and former city Comptroller Scott Stringer.

Why Trump’s Speech to Congress Tonight Isn’t a State of the Union Address

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Presidents generally deliver high-profile speeches to Congress shortly after their inauguration, and the distinction may make little difference.

Historic Trump tariffs go into effect for Canada, Mexico; China and Mexico retaliate

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Historic Trump tariffs go into effect for Canada, Mexico; China and Mexico retaliate

President Donald Trump’s broad tariffs on imported goods from Mexico and Canada went into effect on Tuesday, along with increased duties on goods from China, a move that prompted a swift retaliation from Beijing and the announcements of planned tariffs from Ottawa and Mexico City.

“President Trump continues to demonstrate his commitment to ensuring U.S. trade policy serves the national interest,” the White House said in a statement.

Goods entering the U.S. from Mexico and Canada will carry a 25% tariff, while those from China will be subject to a 10% increase on existing tariffs, according to the White House.

U.S. tariffs are at their highest level since 1943, Yale’s Budget Lab said.

PHOTO: This combination of file photos shows, from left, U.S. President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, China's President Xi Jinping, and Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum.

This combination of file photos shows, from left, U.S. President Donald Trump in Palm Beach, Fla., Feb. 7, 2025, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Kyiv, Ukraine, June 10, 2023, China’s President Xi Jinping in Brasilia, Brazil, Nov. 20, 2024, and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico City, June 27, 2024.

AP

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced plans to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods.

“There’s no reason, no motive nor justification that supports this, it’s a decision that will affect our peoples and nations,” Sheinbaum said, according to transcript of her statement. “We have said it in different ways, cooperation and coordination, yes; subordination and interventionism, no.”

Sheinbaum said she will speak over the phone with Trump on Thursday, and if no deal can be reached, she’ll announce the tariff and non-tariff measures at a rally on Sunday.

Within minutes of the new U.S. tariffs taking effect, China unveiled on Tuesday its initial response by placing additional 10% to 15% tariffs on imported U.S. goods, like chicken, wheat, soybeans and beef.

Those duties will be on top of similar tariffs imposed back during the first Trump administration’s trade war in 2018. Some of those tariffs are already at 25%, though Beijing issued some waivers as a result of the 2020 “phase one” trade deal.

A Home Depot worker walks past stacks of U.S. lumber available for sale at Home Depot on March 3, 2025 in Pasadena, California.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

The new Chinese tariffs are set to come into effect for goods shipped out next Monday, March 10.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also promised to impose tariffs on American goods if Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods went into effect.

He said in a statement on Monday that Ottawa would start with “tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods immediately and tariffs on the remaining $125 billion on American products in 21 days’ time.”

A commercial truck drives towards the Ambassador Bridge to Windsor, Ontario, Canada from Detroit, Michigan. U.S., March 3, 2025.

Rebecca Cook/Reuters

“Our tariffs will remain in place until the U.S. trade action is withdrawn, and should U.S. tariffs not cease, we are in active and ongoing discussions with provinces and territories to pursue several non-tariff measures,” Trudeau said in the statement.

Traders work on the New York Stock Exchange floor on March 3, 2025 in New York City.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Stock futures for the three major U.S. indexes were close to flat early Tuesday following the selloff on Monday as Trump announced his proposed tariffs would go into effect at 12:01 a.m.

The announcement sent major stock indexes plummeting, with the S&P suffered its biggest loss since December, closing at 5,849.72 — down 104.78 points or 1.76%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 43,191.24 down 649.67 points — or 1.48% — while the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 2.64%.

German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, March 4, 2025.

Staff/Reuters

Asian markets were mixed on Tuesday. The Shanghai Stock Exchange climbed less than a percentage point, while the Nikkei in Japan slipped about 1.2% and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong closed down about 0.3%.

European markets mostly traded off on Tuesday, with the DAX in Germany down about 1.6% and the FTSE 100 slipping about 0.3% midday.

The U.S. tariffs arrived about a month after Trump granted Mexico and Canada a reprieve, having reached agreements with the two countries regarding border security and drug trafficking.

ABC News’ Zunaira Zaki, Anne Laurent and Will Gretsky contributed to this report.

What is Trump’s Crypto Reserve Plan?

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The prospect of using taxpayer money to stockpile cryptocurrencies in a national reserve has drawn criticism from lawmakers and investors.

During immigration raid, DHS Secretary Noem says ICE bringing ‘consequences’

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During immigration raid, DHS Secretary Noem says ICE bringing ‘consequences’

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is bringing “consequences” during raids in Virginia on Tuesday.

“There is consequences,” said Noem, who was present during the pre-operation debrief. The raids were assisted by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott covered the raids at the scene. The second operation saw agents detain a man who officials said had been convicted of sexual battery. The man, they said, had been deported twice and re-entered the country illegally.

PHOTO: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott during an ICE raid in Virginia on March 4, 2025.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott during an ICE raid in Virginia on March 4, 2025.

ABC News

Two minors and an uncle were also present in the raided residence, officials said. Agents said the uncle is undocumented and told him to turn himself into immigration authorities in two days.

Asked what would happen to the two minors, Noem told ABC News, “We don’t know what other family members they have, that’s why he has two days to go locate them and make sure these kids are with someone in their family that they believe will keep them safe and set a better example for them.”

Pushed on the likelihood of the family being separated, Noem said there are “consequences,” adding, “And we are giving him time to leave these children with someone else.”

Georgia lawmakers push to ban automated speed cameras near schools

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Georgia lawmakers push to ban automated speed cameras near schools

DECATUR, Ga. — Outside Beacon Hill Middle School in the Atlanta suburb of Decatur, like along hundreds of roadsides across Georgia, the unblinking eye of a camera tickets drivers who speed through a school zone.

Supporters say cameras slow down drivers and provide constant enforcement that understaffed police departments can’t equal. But some state lawmakers want to ban them, saying the cameras are more about generating money for local governments and camera companies, and that some use them deceptively.

More than 20 states and the District of Columbia allow automated traffic cameras to issue speeding tickets, but more than 10 other states have outlawed them. However, it would be unusual for a state to reverse its position. New Jersey had a pilot program testing cameras to enforce red lights, but pulled the plug in 2014.

Georgia’s fight will come to a head soon in its General Assembly, with three separate bills advancing out of committees. The state first authorized speed cameras, but only in school zones, in 2018.

More than 100 representatives in Georgia’s 180-member House signed on to House Bill 225, which would ban the cameras. Dale Washburn, the Macon Republican sponsoring that measure, provided a stack of emails from outraged people ticketed statewide who said lights weren’t flashing, they didn’t even know they were in a school zone, or the cameras were otherwise unfair.

While the tickets in Georgia are civil citations and don’t go on a driver’s criminal record, the state does block people who don’t pay from renewing their vehicle registration. Almost 125,000 unpaid violations were reported in 2024, the Georgia Department of Revenue said. The cameras generated more than $112 million in revenue in 54 Georgia cities and counties since 2019, WANF-TV found last year. Camera companies typically take a share of the revenue.

“These camera companies are engaged in deceit and trickery,” Washburn said. “Their goal is to write tickets, not to enhance children’s safety.”

One issue with abolishing cameras is that companies have become big political donors. Two big vendors, United Kingdom-based RedSpeed and Tennessee-based Blue Line Solutions, contributed around $500,000 to Georgia campaigns in recent years, according to data compiled by OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan watchdog that tracks money in politics.

Legislative leaders seem more likely to support two other bills that would keep cameras, but more closely regulate them by providing better warning signs and limiting the hours of usage.

“So the objective is to alert drivers that they’re entering a school zone and get them to slow down and then for them not to be cited unless they are speeding in a school zone during designated hours,” said Republican Sen. Max Burns of Sylvania, who is sponsoring Senate Bill 75.

An alternate House bill that is similar to Burns’ would require half the money raised go to school safety.

In Decatur, students surge out of Beacon Hill Middle at dismissal and walk along College Avenue, a two-lane street that’s also a state highway. Unlike most places in Georgia, where most students travel home in buses or their parents’ cars, a majority of Decatur’s 5,300 students either walk or ride bikes home.

Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett said a student at Beacon Hill was struck in a hit-and-run accident and a crossing guard elsewhere was also hit before Decatur activated its cameras last fall.

“We really want to protect our most vulnerable residents, our students, and particularly when they are on foot or on a bicycle,” Garrett said.

Police Chief Scott Richards said according to a speed study conducted by the company, speeding has fallen 92%. But there are still plenty of drivers flying through the five zones where Decatur is using cameras. They issued 4,500 valid citations in January alone, he said.

“We would not be able to get those reductions if it were not for the photo enforcement in school zones,” Richards said.

Decatur officials tout their efforts as a model, saying the city has abundant signage and only operates the cameras for a 30 minutes before and after schools begin in the morning and dismiss in the afternoon. A vehicle must be traveling 11 miles (17.7 kilometers) per hour over the speed limit to be cited.

Still, Washburn and others say the amount of money involved encourages overuse and bad behavior.

“Profit-based law enforcement cannot be trusted,” John Moore of Milledgeville wrote to Washburn in February. “I hope you can convince your colleagues to vote this menace out of our state for good.”

Stocks Slump as Trump Tariffs Take Effect

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The S&P 500 added to recent losses in early trading. German automakers, many of which have plants in Mexico that make vehicles that are sold in the United States, were especially hard hit.

Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson Announces Retirement from N.F.L. TV Coverage

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Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson announced his retirement from Fox Sports, where he served as an integral part of its NFL Sunday pregame shows for decades, yukking it up weekly with Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and host Curt Menefee.

Johnson’s retirement is not much of a surprise as, at 81 years old, there had been an expectation he would call it quits soon. In recent years, he had cut down his time at Fox’s Los Angeles studio and worked remotely from Key West, Fla., for shows. During the Super Bowl pregame in February, Fox had a tribute to Johnson, using AI to go through his career. When Menefee led him into saying he would retire then, Johnson demurred.

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The network has included Rob Gronkowski in recent years as a full-time member. It will likely try to add a coach at some point, but it may not do it immediately. Sean McVay, the Los Angeles Rams’ coach, did a brief cameo during Fox’s Super Bowl LIX pregame coverage, but he is continuing on the team’s sideline.

On Monday, Johnson appeared on Colin Cowherd’s FS1 show, “The Herd,” and made the official announcement.

Johnson won two Super Bowls as coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s and a college national championship with the University of Miami in 1987. He had two stints with Fox, including when it first came on the air more than three decades ago. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

“Jimmy served as an inspiration to generations of football fans with his legendary swagger, one-of-a-kind insight and signature humor,” Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks said in a statement. “From his motivating pep talks to his unmatched energy over the years, he was our coach who always pushed us to be better.”

Required reading

(Photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)

Predicting the Starting Quarterback for Every N.F.L. Team Next Season

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Predicting the Starting Quarterback for Every N.F.L. Team Next Season

The first quarterback domino didn’t end up falling.

If the Rams and Matthew Stafford had gone through with a divorce — which felt like a real possibility for a few days as the Raiders and Giants were prepared to offer significant money and draft capital to reel him in — it would’ve caused a chain reaction throughout the league. The Rams might have turned their attention to Aaron Rodgers, or Sam Darnold, or someone else. And that would have changed the options available for the other teams seeking a quarterback.

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Instead, Stafford is staying in Los Angeles, leaving quarterback-needy teams looking at a mostly uninspiring quarterback market, both in free agency and in the NFL Draft.

Last year, I predicted how all the quarterback openings would be filled and … didn’t do as terribly as I remembered. Some of my hits: Bears (Caleb Williams), Buccaneers (Baker Mayfield), Falcons (Kirk Cousins), Vikings (Sam Darnold), Patriots (Jacoby Brissett), Giants (Daniel Jones) and Seahawks (Geno Smith). The misses: Broncos (Sam Howell), Steelers (Kenny Pickett and Ryan Tannehill), Raiders (Jayden Daniels) and Commanders (Drake Maye). I also sent J.J. McCarthy to the Giants, Bo Nix to the Patriots and Michael Penix Jr. to the Seahawks.

Last season, I listed nine teams as open for business — and a few more that were on the fence. There are fewer obvious openings in this cycle, and fewer exciting options on the open market too.

The legal tampering period for free agency opens next Monday at noon ET, so this felt like a good time to look ahead and predict what teams will do at quarterback.

Let’s handicap this year’s field by first figuring out how many jobs are open, which jobs might be open, and which teams are already set at starting quarterback.

Safe, but something to prove

To be determined

That leaves six teams as open for business: Browns, Giants, Jets, Raiders, Steelers, Titans.

Notable options

Let’s run through the starting-caliber — or borderline starting-caliber — quarterbacks who could be available this offseason.

NFL Draft: Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe

Free Agency: Aaron Rodgers, Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Jameis Winston, Jimmy Garoppolo, Carson Wentz, Daniel Jones, Marcus Mariota

Trade/Potential cap cut: Kirk Cousins, Gardner Minshew, Kenny Pickett, Tanner McKee, Joe Milton

With the six “open for business” teams, plus four others that could get involved in the QB market, here are my predictions…

Browns: Kirk Cousins and Jalen Milroe

The rumblings out of Indianapolis were that the Browns preferred Cam Ward and perhaps aren’t high enough on Shedeur Sanders to pick him second overall. That might be a smokescreen, but Sanders isn’t widely considered that caliber of prospect anyway. Cousins has always made the most sense among the veteran options projected to be available this offseason — assuming the Falcons are not serious about making him the most expensive backup the league has ever seen — for a couple reasons.

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The biggest: Kevin Stefanski was Cousins’ quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator with the Vikings for a couple years before the Browns hired him. Cousins is coming off a career-worst year (18 touchdowns, 16 interceptions) but it was his first season post-Achilles surgery, and he dealt with other injuries too. He’s definitely on the decline but is a perfectly serviceable bridge option, whether that’s to Sanders or if Cleveland takes a swing later in the draft on someone like Milroe. The former Alabama star is more of a project as a passer but is a legitimate weapon as a runner; Stefanski can incorporate him into the gameplan as a rookie.

go-deeper

GO DEEPER

NFL beat writer mock draft 2025: Giants, Raiders secure their futures at QB

Giants: Aaron Rodgers and Jaxson Dart

The Rodgers-to-Giants possibility first became public once Stafford officially returned to the Rams, but there was buzz about the team’s interest in the 41-year-old all week during the combine. The Giants are exploring all veteran options, but the reality is that Rodgers is probably the best one, depending on their mileage on Darnold (who will be far more expensive than Rodgers).

From New York’s perspective, it’s a win-now desperation play for a general manager on the hot seat. Rodgers still has enough ability to serve as an inexpensive bridge option for a rookie, even if he experienced a steep decline in 2024 as he battled injuries, struggled to move around the pocket, was unwilling to take shots downfield and caused his fair share of drama. Even still, he was far better than any quarterback the Giants trotted out in 2024, and contrary to popular belief, Rodgers was viewed positively by the majority of the Jets’ locker room. Rodgers is more willing to tutor a young quarterback than many might realize, even if that plan failed with Zach Wilson. From Rodgers’ perspective, he might not have a better option than the Giants. He also recently bought a house in New Jersey and might not be eager to move unless an opportunity opened up in his home state (California). It would be a fair assumption to say that both Davante Adams and Allen Lazard would follow Rodgers to the Giants too.

The Giants could consider Sanders if he falls to No. 3, but the smarter play would be to load up with talent elsewhere on the roster. As for Dart: The Giants are flush with draft capital, with early second-, third- and fourth-round picks, plus an extra fourth. Dart seems to be the consensus third-best prospect at the moment, and some teams even have him ahead of Sanders. The Giants might be able to snag him at the top of the second round, but if not it wouldn’t be difficult for them to trade back up into the first round and get him — and then let him learn from Rodgers for a year.

Colts: Sam Darnold and Anthony Richardson

It was always going to be hard for Richardson to come back from checking himself out of a game due to fatigue. He has tantalizing tools but has not shown an ability to be a consistent, starting-caliber NFL quarterback yet, and the members of Colts leadership (particularly GM Chris Ballard) are on the hot seat. I wouldn’t even rule out a team calling the Colts about trading for Richardson, though his value is pretty low for someone drafted fifth overall two years ago.

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Ballard, somehow, is getting another shot at finding a quality starting quarterback. Darnold is the top free agent available coming off a stellar 2024: 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. PFF projects Darnold to get a contract worth more than $40 million a year, so the Colts would be banking on him playing like he did before poor performances in regular-season-finale and wild-card-playoff losses.

go-deeper

GO DEEPER

2025 NFL free-agency rankings top 150: Where do Aaron Rodgers, Tee Higgins, Sam Darnold fall?

Jets: Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor

Taylor is on the Jets’ roster at a reasonable rate ($6.8 million cap hit) and it would not be shocking at all if he wound up being Aaron Glenn’s Week 1 starter. But there has been a lot of buzz about the prospect of the Jets going after Fields and it makes some sense — he’s young (25), mobile and might have some untapped potential, even if he’s been inconsistent as a thrower in the NFL. He was off to a nice start in Pittsburgh last year before they ultimately opted to bench him for Russell WIlson.

The most likely outcome for Fields this summer is that a team like the Jets gives him a one- or two-year prove-it type deal loaded with incentives, which would give him a shot at a bigger payday (a la Darnold) in a year or two. Fields has a history with Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson (they played together at Ohio State) and New York will have the cap space to sign him if they’re bidding against other teams — which sounds like a real possibility. PFF projects a one-year, $11 million deal but I think it will wind up taking more than that.

Signing Fields won’t preclude the Jets from taking a shot on a Day 2 or Day 3 quarterback prospect. My early prediction: Ohio State’s Will Howard or Syracuse’s Kyle McCord.

Raiders: Russell Wilson and Quinn Ewers

The Raiders were viewed as having a real shot at Stafford, largely because of the presence of Tom Brady. Most signs point toward the Raiders prioritizing proven veterans over unproven rookies, or even question marks like Fields or Darnold. Wilson is probably the next-best veteran on the market after Rodgers, and there are a lot of fun storylines that would come with him going to Las Vegas: He’d reunite with coach Pete Carroll and join forces with Brady, who Wilson lost to in Super Bowl XLIX.

The Raiders also have an early second-round pick (No. 37), and two early thirds (No. 68 and No. 73) and would be smart to add a developmental talent, like Ewers, after the first round.

Saints: Derek Carr and Shedeur Sanders

The Saints don’t really have much of an avenue to improve this position and might be stuck with Carr for now. New Orleans is already $47 million over the cap and wouldn’t get much relief by cutting Carr pre-June 1 ($1.3 million), and he’s unlikely to garner any trade interest at this point. So the Saints are more likely to just roll with him for one more year.

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That wouldn’t preclude them from drafting someone. I think it’s conceivable at this point that Sanders drops out of the Top 5; he would offer the Saints a way out of the quarterback purgatory they’ve found themselves in since Drew Brees retired. If Sanders falls to No. 9 and the Saints are high enough on him, it’s worth taking the swing.

Seahawks: Geno Smith

The Seahawks will stay the course with Smith for at least one more season. He’s proven to be a perfectly capable, if inconsistent, quarterback at this stage of his career. Over the last three seasons he’s averaged 4,242 passing yards and threw 71 touchdowns and 35 interceptions — with 15 picks coming in 2024, the most since his rookie year with the Jets. He might have some value if the Seahawks opt to go in another direction, especially since they’d save $31 million in cap space by trading him, but I don’t see that happening.

Steelers: Daniel Jones and Tyler Shough

I’ll be honest, I had the hardest time predicting what Pittsburgh does. There is a lot of noise about the Steelers preferring to keep either Fields or Wilson, but that was also the noise about Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett last year and that didn’t exactly come to fruition. I think Fields will ultimately choose between the Jets and Steelers — and keep in mind that Pittsburgh benched him last season even though he was playing relatively well. If Pittsburgh brings him back while committing to him as a starter, though, that could give them the edge.

I ultimately decided to go with the Jets for Fields, but it’s a close call. As for who Pittsburgh winds up targeting if not Fields? I considered Cousins and Rodgers here, but Cleveland and New York just make more sense for both at the moment. I don’t think the Steelers will pick a quarterback in the first round. Jones would be an interesting low-cost flier, as he could be a good fit in Arthur Smith’s run-heavy offense, and Pittsburgh would be the best environment he’s been in as a starter in terms of culture, coaching and talent around him. Pairing Jones with a developmental Day 2 or Day 3 prospect would be a way of taking two shots at finding a starter — and Shough has some intriguing potential because of his size (6-5) and athleticism, though he has an injury history and will be 26 in the fall.

If the Saints do wind up moving on from Carr, he becomes a real possibility here too. I could also see Pittsburgh bringing in a third veteran quarterback to be part of the conversation — someone of the Carson Wentz, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jameis Winston, Gardner Minshew ilk.

Titans: Cam Ward

There’s been a lot of assumption that the Titans will trade out of the No. 1 pick to accumulate more assets. Has anyone ever stopped to ask why they wouldn’t just take the top quarterback prospect themselves? Will Levis is clearly not the answer. There are no other obvious solutions for a team that’s not quite a contender yet. And Ward at least has the potential to be something special, even if he’s not a surefire prospect like past No. 1 picks. The Titans have some pieces already in place to help him, including talented running backs (Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears), a wide receiver (Calvin Ridley) and a couple first-round offensive linemen (JC Latham, Peter Skoronski). Maybe the Titans don’t view Ward as a potential franchise quarterback — or perhaps they value the potential of someone like Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter more. It’s certainly possible the Titans wind up trading out of this pick, but that’s far from a lock.

Vikings: J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz

For a while, the prospect of bringing Darnold back for another year while McCarthy works his way back from a torn meniscus seemed like a legitimate possibility. But as time as passed, and Darnold struggled in two big games, that began to feel less likely. Minnesota is very high on McCarthy’s potential, which he flashed in training camp and the preseason last year.

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If Jones doesn’t get a starting shot elsewhere I think he’ll return to the Vikings as a potential stopgap until McCarthy is ready. But if not him, I still anticipate the Vikings adding a playable veteran at the position — I considered both Wentz and Jimmy Garoppolo here. I went with Wentz because, to me, he fits the Darnold mold of a former highly drafted quarterback seeking redemption. Wentz was an MVP frontrunner in 2017 before tearing his ACL. He had moments in both Indianapolis and Washington, but stints with both teams ended poorly. He’s been humbled as a backup the past two seasons, learning behind Matthew Stafford and Patrick Mahomes and from both Sean McVay and Andy Reid. If there’s a coach who can get something out of Wentz, it’s Kevin O’Connell.

(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Photos: Rich von Biberstein / Icon Sportswire, Luke Hales, Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

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