NFL Free Agency 2025: Big Moves and Big Questions

The NFL's 2025 free agency period has kicked off with a bang, and teams are already making waves. The Seattle Seahawks snatched up Sam Darnold to replace Geno Smith, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders. The New York Jets made a bold move by signing Justin Fields, leaving Aaron Rodgers in the dust and bringing in a fresh start under new head coach Aaron Glenn. The Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots have been the biggest spenders, bulking up their lines of scrimmage. Some big names have switched teams, with DeMarcus Lawrence leaving the Dallas Cowboys for the Seahawks and Darius Slay moving from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Lawrence's departure from the Cowboys was marked by a parting shot, hinting at his dissatisfaction with the team's Super Bowl prospects. The Cowboys, known for their selective aggression in the offseason, have been quiet in free agency. They re-signed some key players and made a few bargain signings, but they haven't made any big moves. The team has $42. 778 million in cap space, but they've pushed some of Dak Prescott's and CeeDee Lamb's contracts into the future. The last time the Cowboys signed an outside free agent for more than $6 million per year was in 2015, and they haven't signed a multi-year deal for that amount since 2014. The Jones family's approach to free agency has left the team in a tough spot, and fans are starting to feel the impact. The Vikings, under new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, have been on a spending spree. With a significant amount of cap space after letting Sam Darnold walk and having J. J. McCarthy on a rookie deal, the Vikings have spent $243. 75 million in free agency, far more than any other team. They've focused on reinforcing their lines of scrimmage, aiming to protect their quarterback and terrorize opposing quarterbacks. The Vikings' spending spree is a response to their 2024 NFC wild-card round loss against the Los Angeles Rams, where they surrendered an NFL-record nine sacks. The Chicago Bears, under new head coach Ben Johnson, are building their offense through the offensive line. Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, took a beating in his rookie year, and Johnson is determined to protect him. The Bears have made several trades and signings to bolster their offensive line, including acquiring Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs and signing Drew Dalman to a three-year, $42 million contract. Johnson's vision for the Bears' offense is clear, and he's executing it swiftly.

The NFL expects the 2025 draft's running back class to be generational. Last year's running back free agency class was impressive, with several Pro Bowl backs signing lucrative deals. This year, the running back free agency class has received nothing but scraps. The financial run on running backs isn't happening in free agency, but it's expected to be a hot commodity in the draft. The NFL's consensus draft rankings have six running backs ranked as top 100 prospects, and the first two days of the draft are expected to see plenty of backs fly off the board. The New England Patriots have shown a lot of faith in Mike Vrabel, their new head coach. After spending $136. 3 million in free agency for first-year head coach Jerod Mayo in 2024, the Patriots have blown past that number by spending $214. 5 million in 2025. They've signed several key players, including Milton Williams, Morgan Moses, Carlton Davis, and Harold Landry. The Patriots are going all out in Year 2 of the Drake Maye era, and Mayo certainly has to be salty watching his former franchise bestow his successor with a much bigger treasure trove of toys in free agency. The Cincinnati Bengals are in a tough spot with their salary cap. They've watched the market value of their trio of stars - wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, wide receiver Tee Higgins, and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson - skyrocket. They could've extended Hendrickson at the beginning of the offseason, but they've been stagnant to their own detriment. The Bengals are in danger of overpaying for their stars, and they need to make some tough decisions. The Tennessee Titans are likely to draft Miami QB Cam Ward first overall. The Titans have been reinforcing their offensive line, signing Dan Moore Jr. and Kevin Zeitler. Given the urgency in which Tennessee has moved to reinforce their offensive line, it feels like it has now shifted to locking in on the 2025 draft's top quarterback prospect, Cam Ward of the Miami Hurricanes. The New York Giants are in big trouble at the QB position. The Titans likely zeroing in on Ward leaves the Giants in a tough spot. That means Tennessee likely won't trade down, and the Browns could draft a quarterback second overall to supplant the disappointing Deshaun Watson. Darnold is a Seattle Seahawk, and now New York is in both the Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson sweepstakes. If Rodgers chooses the Steelers, the Giants could land Wilson. If Rodgers chooses the Vikings, the Steelers could land Wilson and New York would end up with neither. Right now, Tommy DeVito is the only quarterback on the Giants' roster. New York is in danger of leaving free agency worse off at its quarterback spot than anyone could have imagined.

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