The official start of the 2025 NFL season is quickly approaching. The league year and free agency will open at 4 p.m. on March 12. Teams will begin signing free agents, and any trades agreed to before the new league year will become official on that date.
Before the league year officially kicks off, there are a couple of other key dates to remember. Teams must designate franchise players by March 4. The NFL also has a legal negotiating window from March 10 to 12, during which teams can begin contacting and negotiating with the agents of unrestricted free agents. We’ll hear deals breaking during that window, even though they can’t become official until March 12.
It’s time to start breaking down the 2025 free agency class, including Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, and Russell Wilson at the quarterback position. This year’s free agents are loosely ordered based on talent, age, plus previous and expected future fantasy relevance. Be sure to follow Fantasy Points throughout free agency for in-depth breakdowns of every major (and minor) move. We’ll track every off-season transaction from a fantasy perspective through our “Free Agency Tracker” articles and Graham Barfield’s “Fantasy Fallout” pieces.
Be sure to check out the Free Agency Previews for Running Backs, Wide Receivers, and Tight Ends…This article is powered by Fantasy Points Data. Subscribe now to get our to take your research to the next level.
Potentially Available
Aaron Rodgers (Pit, 41)
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Rodgers agreed to terms on
Rodgers took his sweet time to choose his next team, but he finally picked the Steelers for his 21st season. His disastrous two-year run with the Jets ended when the franchise announced in mid-February that it parted ways with the four-time MVP. He lasted just 4 snaps into his Jets debut in 2023 before tearing his Achilles and missing the rest of the season. He returned to the lineup in 2024 and played like a 40-year-old QB coming back from an Achilles injury. The Jets traded for his best friend Davante Adams, but that move couldn’t even stop the Jets from imploding after firing Robert Saleh in Week 5 — Rodgers finished with a career-worst 5-12 record.
He completed 368/584 passes (63%) for 3897 yards (6.7 YPA), 28 TDs (4.8%), and 11 INTs (1.9%) in 17 starts. He added 34/94/1 rushing to finish as the QB19 with 15.9 FPG. Rodgers finished with career worsts in YPA (6.7), YPC (10.6), and passer rating (90.5), and his second-worst finishes in success rate (43.9%) and QBR (48.0). Rodgers found a slightly cold market this off-season after forcing his way out of Green Bay and taking the Jets on a ruinous ride the last two seasons. The Steelers and Giants were two of the last teams left on the quarterback carousel, and he ultimately chose a Pittsburgh franchise that’s reached the postseason in four of the last five seasons. Pittsburgh hasn’t figured out its quarterback situation since Ben Roethlisberger tore tendons in his throwing elbow in 2019.
Rodgers isn’t the long-term solution the Steelers have been looking for, but he theoretically raises Pittsburgh’s ceiling if he can turn back the clock to his pre-2022 form. He’s a bit of a curious fit with downfield threats D.K. Metcalf and George Pickens after ranking 26th in deep throw rate (9.8%) among 39 QBs with 200+ attempts. He ranked 32nd in YPA (9.13) and 36th in completion percentage (42%) on passes of 10+ yards among 40 QBs with 50+ such attempts. Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh’s starter in 2024, finished first in YPA (14.23) and fifth in completion percentage (56.3%) on passes of 10+ yards. Rodgers could become a more efficient downfield passer working with Metcalf and Pickens in Arthur Smith’s offensive system, especially with another year removed from his Achilles injury. Even if he does improve, Rodgers will have to get close to his career 6.1% TD rate to be anything more than a mid-QB2.
Kirk Cousins (Atl, 37)
Cousins landed a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed from the Falcons last off-season despite his recovery from an Achilles injury entering his age-36 season. The Falcons then selected Michael Penix with the eighth overall pick without notifying Cousins or his agent until they were on the clock. Before his injury in 2023, Cousins led the NFL in completions (216), attempts (311), and passing TDs (18) through eight weeks. He wasn’t the same player returning from his injury in 2024, lacking the same arm strength and looking like a statue in the pocket. Cousins completed 303/453 passes (66.9%) for 3508 yards (7.7 YPA), 18 TDs (4.0%), and 16 INTs (3.5%) in 14 starts. He added just 14/23 rushing to finish as the QB29 with 13.9 FPG.
Cousins’ play deteriorated so much that the Falcons benched him for the rookie Penix with three games to play, despite being in the middle of the playoff hunt. The benching was certainly deserved as he accounted for just 1 TD pass and 9 INTs in his final five games — the Falcons went 1-4 in those contests. The Falcons are expected to release him before his $10 million roster bonus is due March 17, but they’ll still be on the hook for $65 million in dead money, which can be spread over two seasons if they designate it as a post-June 1 release. Cousins will look to take a step forward with another year removed from his Achilles injury, but he won’t come close to sniffing the $100 million in guaranteed money he received from the Falcons last off-season. Cousins is due to make $27.5 million from the Falcons next season so he could play at close to the veteran minimum like Russell Wilson did with the Steelers last season after he was released by the Broncos. Cousins could be forced to compete for a starting job wherever he lands for the 2025 season, but he’ll at least be a much cheaper option than the other top QBs available this off-season.
Unrestricted Free Agents
An unrestricted free agent is a player with four or more accrued seasons and an expired contract who is free to negotiate and sign with any team. The age for each player is the age he’ll turn in the 2024 calendar year.
Fringe NFL Starter/Top Backups
Joe Flacco (Ind, 40)
Flacco shockingly led the Browns to the postseason in 2023 after being unemployed until mid-November, which earned him Comeback Player of the Year honors. Cleveland passed on bringing him back for Jameis Winston, but he landed on his feet as the backup to Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis. A-Rich struggled to stay healthy for the second straight year, and the Colts controversially benched him and reinstalled Flacco as the starter for two games in Weeks 9-10. Flacco completed 162/248 passes (65.3%) for 1761 yards (7.1 YPA), 12 TDs (4.8%), and 7 INTs (2.8%) in eight appearances. He added 9/26 rushing to average 15.8 FPG in his six starts. Flacco still has plenty of arm talent as he enters his 40s, and he ranked fifth in aDOT (9.0 yards) among 43 QBs who attempted 150+ passes. His next team will have to live with some turnovers from him as a backup QB, but he’s a viable mid-QB2 option when he’s in the lineup since he’s shown he’ll play aggressively.
Drew Lock (NYG, 29)
Lock signed with the Giants last off-season for the chance to compete against Daniel Jones for the starting job, who was recovering from ACL surgery. Lock never got that chance to compete for the QB1 spot in training camp, and the organization passed him over for Tommy DeVito after releasing Jones in late November. He eventually started five games, winning once, but he’s unlikely to be back in New York after they bypassed him for DeVito. Lock completed 107/181 passes (59.1%) for 1071 yards, 6 TDs (3.3%), and 5 INTs (2.8%) in eight appearances. He added 18/133/2 rushing to average 17.1 FPG in five starts. He ranked 40th in completion percentage (59.1%), YPA (5.92), and turnover-worthy throw rate (5.0%) among 43 QBs who attempted 150+ passes. Lock was in a terrible spot in one of the league’s worst offenses, but he still hasn’t lived up to the hype of being the 42nd overall pick in 2019. He’ll battle for a backup spot wherever he lands.
Tyler Huntley (Mia, 27)
Huntley failed to find any market in his first trip to free agency, settling for a depth job behind Deshaun Watson and Jameis Winston in Cleveland. He then couldn’t beat out Dorian Thompson-Robinson in training camp, so he signed back with the Ravens on their practice squad. The Dolphins eventually came calling after Tua Tagovailoa suffered another concussion, and he vaulted ahead of Skylar Thompson and Tim Boyle to earn five starts. Huntley completed 86/133 passes (64.7%) for 829 yards (6.2 YPA), 3 TDs (2.3%), and 3 INTs (2.5%) in five appearances. He added 26/135/2 rushing to average 13.1 FPG in his starts. Huntley has been a serviceable backup over the last four seasons, but his dual-threat style of play could once again limit his market. Huntley is on the radar as a streaming option when he’s slated to start since he’s averaged 36.4 rushing YPG in his 14 career starts.
