10 NFL players who could be on the move this offseason

The Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl champions. Even though the team hasn’t finished its celebration and the grease hasn’t yet been wiped off the light posts in Philadelphia, the rest of the NFL is looking ahead to free agency and the offseason.

While no football is being played, this down time for the league is when many games are won and lost. The Eagles know this all too well, as their top free agent acquisition from last year, Saquon Barkley, rushed for an NFL-high 2,005 yards and helped lead them to a 14-3 season. He was the missing piece that ultimately put the team over the top, making his old team, the New York Giants, look foolish for letting him walk away for free.

Barkley wasn’t the only one. Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry finished second in the league in rushing with 1,921 yards, and Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs finished sixth with 1,329. Both were offseason adds, and both made huge impacts, taking their respective new teams to the playoffs.

Quarterback Sam Darnold joined the Minnesota Vikings after floating around the league as a backup, and he led them to a surprise year that had them fighting for the top record in the league in the final week of the season. After being projected to finish last in their division, the Vikings put together a run to remember behind stellar quarterback play from Darnold, who finished the year with 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns (both fifth in the league) and just 12 interceptions.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Packers hit big again with safety Xavier McKinney, who they also lured away from the Giants. He lived up to the big contract he signed and looked like the star that the Green Bay front office thought he could be. The Vikings picked up linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, who led the team with 11.5 sacks and was also extremely effective in coverage. Finally, the Super Bowl champion Eagles found a diamond in the rough in linebacker Zach Baun, who signed on a bargain deal and evolved into a mainstay by season’s end.

With these signings in mind, it’s time to look ahead to 10 players with the potential to move teams this offseason and shift the balance of the league.

1. Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Despite missing the postseason, the Cincinnati Bengals certainly can’t blame their potent passing attack. Led by Ja’Marr Chase, winner of the “triple crown” (league highs in catches receiving yards and receiving touchdowns), the Bengals topped the league in passing yards and touchdowns. Quarterback Joe Burrow had a brilliant comeback from an injury-riddled 2023 season. But the unsung hero of the team may be the second option on the outside, Tee Higgins, who has shown flashes of star potential over the past few years.

At 26 years old, Higgins is still in the prime of his career. He had an extremely productive year in 2024 when he was able to play, averaging 76 yards and nearly a touchdown per game. Health will be the only concern for teams pursuing Higgins this offseason. He has played just 12 games in each of the past two years due to various injuries. If he can stay on the field, Higgins has the potential to shine in a more prominent role elsewhere, with the Bengals unlikely to re-sign him given the price he is likely going to command on the open market.

2. Sam Darnold, QB, Minnesota Vikings

Ironically, after being perhaps the top free agent signing of 2024, Sam Darnold is back on the market again in 2025. After a breakout year in his seventh season, Darnold is likely to garner attention from any team looking to change its signal caller this year. Despite being a bit of a journeyman already in his NFL career, he will be just 28 years old next season, and if he is able to replicate his success from last year, he could be a franchise-changing player. The question remains if lucky year number seven for Darnold was just that: luck. There have been plenty of one-hit wonders at the quarterback position who cash in on a giant payday and fail to produce while hindering their new team’s financial ability to sign new talent.

Vikings fans have every reason to be fearful, if not just for historical reasons, but also given Darnold’s poor performance in their playoff thrashing at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams. What’s more, Minnesota thought it had acquired its quarterback of the future last year – but it wasn’t Darnold. Rookie and NCAA national champion J.J. McCarthy spent the year sidelined with an injury, but many expected him to start out of the gate if not for that. Now the Vikings have a decision to make: stay the course with McCarthy and save a ton of money in the process, or bet on Darnold’s marvelous season being replicable. Teams to watch in the Sam Darnold sweepstakes if the Vikings decide to move on are the Oakland Raiders, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.

3. Trey Smith, G, Kansas City Chiefs

With the re-emergence of dominant run games among the league’s top teams, an interior offensive lineman will be highly sought-after. The best available free agent guard this year is unarguably the Chiefs’ Trey Smith, who was a key piece for the AFC champions. After being dominated at the line of scrimmage in their Super Bowl LV loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chiefs reinvented themselves. Instead of focusing on flashy play at skill positions, they traded away star receiver Tyreek Hill and began to restructure, putting more of an impetus on line play on both sides of the ball.

Although Smith was drafted a year earlier in 2021, he has been a key piece in that vision, and at just 25 years old, he is still well within the prime of his career. The Chiefs will have to pay a pretty penny to keep him. With Patrick Mahomes being sacked six times in Super Bowl LIX, it’s hard to imagine Kansas City taking any risks on their offensive line. It remains to be seen if they will be able to balance their books to keep one of the staples of their pass protection and run blocking units.

4. Jevon Holland, S, Miami Dolphins

The likely top defensive player of this free agent class will be Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland. A second round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Holland has been a stud for the Dolphins secondary in his four years in South Beach. While he had a quiet year in 2024, he will be just 25 next season and could be poised for a resurgence with a change of scenery.

Holland has expressed interest in returning to Miami, but the Dolphins will have to get creative with the salary cap if they wish to compete with other teams in the open market. And the price may be steep for one of the better young defenders in the NFL, who could be a long-term solution for any team looking to bolster its defensive backfield.

5. Ronnie Staley, T, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson was just a few votes away from taking home his second consecutive (and third overall) MVP award with the Baltimore Ravens in 2024. One main reason for his success is tackle Ronnie Staley, who will hit free agency this year at the age of 31. While he is on the older side, he showed no signs of slowing down last season in a fully healthy campaign in which he allowed just 2 sacks in 17 games. There will certainly be competition for him with not much other marquee talent available on the market at his position.

6. Aaron Rodgers, QB, New York Jets

While New York Jets quarterback and four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers was not set to become a free agent, there are rumors swirling that his time with the team could be up. ESPN reported that a split between the two sides is imminent, so the 41-year-old will almost certainly be looking for a new home this offseason.

While his tenure in New York was widely considered a failure, Rodgers posted solid statistics in 2024, with 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. This could not save the Jets from a dismal 5-12 record after starting the year with playoff expectations. Despite his age, Rodgers does not appear to be done yet as an NFL starter, and a few teams may be interested in his superstar pedigree and veteran leadership. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and even his former division rival Minnesota Vikings have all been thrown out as potential landing spots, though surely Rodgers will be looking for a chance at another Super Bowl title as a starter in the twilight of his career.

7. Aaron Jones, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Rodgers’ former backfield partner in Green Bay had a career resurgence after moving to the Packers’ division rival. Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones will hit the market this year after signing last year with the team and exceeding expectations. In fact, Jones rushed for a career-high 1,138 yards in 2024 after missing six games due to injury the year prior. He proved to be a reliable first option on the ground and a versatile threat in the passing game, catching over 50 passes for 408 yards.

Any team with hopes of contending in 2025 but needing some help in the backfield should pursue Jones. He will turn 31 at the end of next season, but he still looks capable of being a starter in the league, and he would make a great complement to any power runner who is capable of carrying the load in short yardage situations.

8. Josh Sweat, edge, Philadelphia Eagles

The Super Bowl champions will have a tough task this offseason as they could likely lose their top pass rusher from last year. With 8 sacks and 15 quarterback hits in 2024, Josh Sweat helped dial up pressure against opposing quarterbacks. He will be just 28 years old next season and makes sense as part of any team’s present or future.

There are seven teams projected to have over $60 million in cap room this summer: the New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings. Certainly all will look in Sweat’s direction, as he is the top available player at perhaps the most valuable defensive position.

9. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After Tee Higgins, another name to watch on the wide receiver market is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Chris Godwin. At age 29, Godwin is coming off a year that ended with a gruesome ankle injury after playing just seven games. Before that, however, Godwin strung together three straight 1,000-yard seasons and was a dependable option for quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Tom Brady. While he will be entering his ninth season, Godwin may still be in the prime of his career, and barring bad news on his injury in March, he could be an extremely useful addition for any team looking to strengthen its passing attack.

10. Russell Wilson, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

While Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson looked poised to be one of the stars of the 2025 free agent class, the 36-year-old finished the season on the wrong foot, losing five straight games to cap the year, including a demoralizing 28-14 flop against the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs.

While it initially appeared that Wilson had returned to the winning ways of his time in Seattle, the end of the season reminded fans more of the two years in Denver that landed him on the Steelers last offseason for a bargain. However, teams who are optimistic about Wilson’s 6-1 record in the first seven games for the Steelers may take interest, as well as those looking for short-term competence and guidance as they try to prepare a rookie quarterback to start in the future.