The NFL’s new league year will begin on Wednesday, March 12 at 4 p.m. ET. At that time, free agents can officially sign new contracts for the 2025 season and beyond.
Plenty of action will occur in the lead-up to that day. Already the NFL’s franchise tag deadline has passed, and the two top players set to hit the market – Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith – were slapped with the tag. Notably, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was not, making him one of the top quarterbacks available on the free agent market.
Aaron Rodgers is expected to join Darnold on the market, as the New York Jets are planning to move on from him in the coming weeks. His potential landing spot will have a ripple effect on the quarterback market and could potentially determine which quarterback-needy teams target signal callers atop the 2025 NFL draft.
Of course, there will also be a handful of trades as teams look to move on from star players to create cap space. Deebo Samuel has already been traded from the San Francisco 49ers to the Washington Commanders in a deal that will be finalized at the start of the new year. The same is true of Los Angeles Rams guard Jonah Jackson, who is heading to the Chicago Bears just one year after being a big-money free agent signing.
USA TODAY Sports will provide live updates and the latest rumors about players who will be available in NFL free agency and via trade below.
NFL free agency rumors
Chargers release Joey Bosa
Date: March 5
The Los Angeles Chargers have released pass rusher Joey Bosa, the team announced Wednesday night.
Bosa took a pay cut to remain with the Chargers last year. Entering the 2025 league year, he will be a free agent. Here’s why the Chargers made the move.
Eagles re-sign All-Pro LB Zack Baun to three-year deal
Date: March 5
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter
The Eagles signed Baun to a one-year deal during the 2024 offseason. He enjoyed a breakout season his first year in Philadelphia, generating 151 tackles, five forced fumbles and 3.5 sacks while earning an All-Pro first team nod.
Baun’s new deal will pay him $51 million over three years with $34 million in guaranteed money. His average annual value (AAV) of $17 million ranks as the fourth-highest among linebackers league-wide behind only Roquan Smith, Fred Warner and Tremaine Edmunds.
Dak Prescott restructures contract, opens $36.6 million in cap space
Date: March 5
Source: ESPN’s Todd Archer
The Cowboys desperately needed to move some money around to open up some wiggle room for the 2025 NFL offseason. Prescott provided them with a massive boost in cap space by restructuring his deal.
Between Prescott and CeeDee Lamb’s restructures, Dallas has now opened $56.6 million in cap space over two days. That could position the Cowboys to make a splash in free agency or on the trade market if they so desire.
Raiders sign Maxx Crosby to $106.5 million extension
Date: March 5
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter
The Raiders agreed to a long-term deal with star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. He will make $106.5 million over three years with $91 million in guaranteed money.
Raiders sign former Bengals guard Alex Cappa to two-year deal
Date: March 5
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport
The Bengals released Cappa, who started all 17 games at right guard last season, ahead of free agency to open up $8 million in cap space. The Raiders quickly swooped in, agreeing to a two-year, $11 million deal with Cappa to provide depth along their offensive line.
Cappa has appeared in 102 games with 96 starts during his career. He won Super Bowl 55 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will compete for playing time with Jordan Meredith, Jackson Powers-Johnson and Dylan Parham.
DK Metcalf requests trade, Seahawks to explore dealing WR
Date: March 5
Source: USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon
The Seahawks are already moving on from Tyler Lockett and may also be parting with Metcalf. The 27-year-old has requested a trade away from Seattle and the team will consider granting it as he enters the final year of a three-year, $72 million contract.
There is expected to be significant interest across the league in Metcalf’s services.
Jaguars plan to release WR Christian Kirk
Date: March 5
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter
The Seahawks aren’t the only ones moving on from a veteran receiver. The Jaguars are also cutting ties with one. Kirk, who helped reset the free agent receiver market during the 2022 NFL offseason, is set to be released ahead of the final season of his four-year, $72 million contract.
Cutting Kirk will save the Jaguars $10.4 million in cap space. It will also create a need for another receiver to complement Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis in Jacksonville’s receiver room.
Raiders a ‘natural landing spot’ for Tyler Lockett
Date: March 5
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter
Shortly after Lockett’s release, Schefter indicated Pete Carroll could be interested in bringing the veteran receiver to the Raiders.
‘Lockett’s character always has matched his talents, and Carroll always has been a big supporter,’ Schefter wrote. ‘Raiders also need WR help.’
Seahawks releasing WR Tyler Lockett after 10 seasons
Date: March 5
Source: Tyler Lockett
Lockett took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce his time with the Seahawks ‘may have run its course’ while expressing gratitude for his decade with the team. He was a third-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft and totaled 661 catches, 8,594 yards and 61 touchdowns during his time in Seattle.
The Seahawks will save $17 million in cap space by cutting the 32-year-old.
Mason Crosby announces retirement after 17 seasons
Date: March 5
Source: Green Bay Packers
The Packers announced Crosby had retired as a member of their organization after 17 NFL seasons. He spent 16 years with the Packers, converting 395 of 485 career field goal attempts (81.4%) and helping Green Bay win Super Bowl 45.
Crosby last kicked in the NFL during the 2023, when he played in three games for the New York Giants. He made just 5 of 7 field goals and was not re-signed following the season.
Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard retires at 29
Date: March 5
Source: Sam Hubbard
Hubbard announced on social media he was retiring from the NFL after playing seven seasons for his hometown team.
‘To play my entire career in one uniform is incredibly special to me, and I am a Bengal for life, always have and always will be,’ Hubbard wrote.
Cincinnati already needed to shore up its pass rush but will now have a greater need at the position after Hubbard’s retirement. He had 38.5 sacks over his seven seasons with the Bengals but notched just two in 2025.
Raiders to release Gardner Minshew at start of new league year
Date: March 5
Source: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero
The Raiders signed Minshew to be their stopgap starter last offseason. This year, they will release the 28-year-old back into the free-agent pool at the start of the new league year.
Minshew posted a 2-7 record for the Raiders in nine starts during the 2024 season. He completed 66.3% of his passes for 2,013 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Chiefs trading All-Pro guard Joe Thuney to Bears
Date: March 5
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport
The Chiefs slapped starting right guard Trey Smith with a franchise tag worth $23.4 million during the 2025 offseason. Shortly thereafter, Kansas City traded Thuney, its starting left guard who played tackle en route to the team’s Super Bowl 59 appearance, to the Bears for a 2026 fourth-round pick.
Thuney is entering the last year of a five-year, $80 million deal he inked with the Chiefs during the 2021 offseason. He helped the Chiefs win back-to-back Super Bowls and was named an All-Pro first teamer in both 2023 and 2024.
The Bears have now traded for two starting guards, Thuney and Jonah Jackson, ahead of free agency. Chicago’s investment is no surprise, as Caleb Williams was sacked a league-high 68 times as a rookie while new head coach Ben Johnson coached one of the league’s best offensive lines while in Detroit.
‘Signs pointing to’ Seahawks releasing WR Tyler Lockett
Date: March 4
Source: ESPN’s Brady Henderson
The Seahawks cut four veterans – outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones, defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris, safety Rayshawn Jenkins and offensive tackle George Fant – Tuesday to save roughly $27 million in cap space. Seattle was over the cap entering the 2025 offseason, so they had to make those releases to free up room to maneuver during offseason.
Seattle may not be done parting with veterans, however. The team is also expected to release Lockett, who is set to have a cap hit just shy of $30.9 million in 2025. Lockett is coming off a season during which he made 49 catches for 600 yards and two touchdowns, all marking his lowest totals since the 2017 season. Cutting him would save the Seahawks $17 million in cap space.
Saints release veteran RB Jamaal Williams
Date: March 4
Source: New Orleans Saints
The Saints announced they were releasing veteran running back Jamaal Williams on Tuesday. He was due to make $3.2 million in 2025 after rushing for just 164 yards and on touchdown on 48 carries last season.
Williams led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2022, his final year with the Detroit Lions. He racked up 1,066 yards and 17 scores while working in tandem with D’Andre Swift behind Detroit’s stellar offensive line.
Packers re-sign Brandon McManus to three-year deal
Date: March 4
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter
The Packers have locked in McManus as their long-term kicker after he went 20-of-21 (95.2%) on field goals in 11 games with Green Bay. McManus will make $15.3 million over the three-year deal, which includes $5 million in guarantees.
Eagles sign Saquon Barkley to record-breaking extension
Date: March 4
Source: Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY Sports
Barkley became the NFL’s ninth 2,000-yard rusher in his first season with the Eagles and helped Philadelphia win a Super Bowl. The Eagles rewarded him with a two-year extension worth $41.2 million, making him the first running back to earn more than $20 million per season.
Barkley’s extension contains $36 million in guaranteed money.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb restructures contract to free up $20 million
Date: March 4
Source: ESPN’s Todd Archer
The Cowboys agreed to a four-year, $80 million contract with free-agent-to-be Osa Odighizuwa earlier in the day. To create the space needed to execute that deal, Dallas restructured Lamb’s contract to free up $20 million in space. That will give the Cowboys a little more wiggle room as they look to upgrade their roster.
Jets release WR Davante Adams
Date: March 4
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport
The Jets shopped Adams for a couple of days before ultimately releasing him. Cutting the veteran receiver saves New York $29.9 million in salary cap space which they will use to rebuild their roster in the vision of new head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey.
The Jets are expected to part with Aaron Rodgers and Allen Lazard ahead of free agency as well.
Rams trading guard Jonah Jackson to Bears for sixth-round pick
Date: March 4
Source: ESPN’s Courtney Cronin
The Rams gave Jackson, a marquee free agent signing in 2024, permission to seek a trade after he played just four games during his lone season in Los Angeles. The Rams found a taker, as the Bears sent a 2025 sixth-round pick to Los Angeles for the veteran guard’s services.
Chicago’s entire starting interior offensive line was set to hit free agency in 2025, and they needed help along the front after Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times as a rookie. New Bears head coach Ben Johnson worked with Jackson for four years with the Detroit Lions, so that familiarity should make Jackson an ideal plug-and-play option at guard.
Cowboys avoid franchise tag, sign Osa Odighizuwa to extension
Date: March 4
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter
The Cowboys were set to slap Odighizuwa with the franchise tag if they couldn’t agree to a long-term extension before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline. The parties agreed to a four-year, $80 million contract with $58 million in guarantees to allow Odighizuwa to stay in Dallas.
Odighizuwa racked up 60 pressures (third-most among defensive linemen, per PFF) in 2024 while recording a career-high 4.5 sacks. He and Micah Parsons will be charged with leading Dallas’ pass rush once again in 2025.
Eagles to release DB James Bradberry as a post-June 1 cut
Date: March 4
Source: ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler
The Eagles already released Darius Slay, designating him as a post-June 1 cut. They are now parting with another veteran in Bradberry, whose release with a post-June 1 designation will save the Eagles $2.1 million in cap space.
Bradberry was a second-team All-Pro in 2022 and started 16 games in 2023. He racked up 13 pass defenses and an interception while playing cornerback. He was slated to move to safety for the 2024 season but missed the whole campaign with a lower-leg injury.
Cowboys expected to place franchise tag on DT Osa Odighizuwa
Date: March 4
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport
The NFL’s franchise tag deadline will pass at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 4. Ahead of that, the Cowboys are expected to place the tag on defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa. The $25.122 million tag is expected to be a ‘placeholder,’ per Rapoport, as the two sides have ‘had in-depth talks on a long-term extension.’
Odighizuwa had a career-high 4.5 sacks in 2024 and finished third among defensive linemen with 60 pressures. The 26-year-old graded as Pro Football Focus’ 12th-best pass rusher among interior defenders.
Vikings unlikely to place franchise tag on QB Sam Darnold
Date: March 3
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter
Tagging Darnold would cost the Vikings $40.242 million for the 2025 NFL season. That number is unpalatable considering it would eat up nearly two thirds of Minnesota’s $62.85 million in available cap space and the Vikings have 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings to become the team’s long-term starting quarterback.
The Vikings remain interested in re-signing Darnold, per Schefter, but will face competition for his services on the open market. The 27-year-old had the league’s sixth-highest passer rating last season (102.5) and led the Vikings to a 14-3 record.
Bengals place franchise tag on Tee Higgins
Date: March 3
Source: Tee Higgins
Higgins simply posted the word ‘tag’ on X (formerly Twitter) to announce he had been slapped with the franchise tag for a second consecutive offseason.
Higgins is set to make $26 million on his second consecutive one-year tenure. The Bengals will now be tasked with trying to sign both him and Ja’Marr Chase to lucrative, long-term extensions.
Eagles releasing Darius Slay as a post-June 1 cut
Date: March 3
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter
The Eagles entered the 2025 offseason with three defensive starters set to hit free agency. They are going to make it four, as the team is planning to release Slay, a 34-year-old veteran, ahead of free agency.
Slay had 13 pass defenses in 2024 but failed to log a regular-season interception for the first time since his rookie season in 2023. The emergence of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean evidently made the veteran expendable.
The Eagles will save $4.3 million by making Slay a post-June 1 cut. That could help Philadelphia in its efforts to keep pending free agents Josh Sweat, Milton Williams and Zack Baun.
Sean McVay won’t rule out Cooper Kupp returning to Rams
Date: March 3
Source: Jourdan Rodrigue, The Athletic
The Rams told Kupp they were going to trade him during the 2025 NFL offseason. However, McVay didn’t close the door on reversing that decision if the team can’t find a trade partner for the veteran receiver.
‘I would never speak in absolutes,’ McVay said when addressing the potential for Kupp to return.
The 49ers fetched a fifth-round pick in a recent trade for Deebo Samuel. The Rams may be seeking similar compensation for Kupp, who is set to have a $29.78 million cap hit in 2025.
Jets shopping WR Davante Adams; will release him if not traded
Date: March 2
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport
The Jets aren’t just moving on from Rodgers during the 2025 NFL offseason. They are also expected to part with veteran receiver Adams, for whom they traded ahead of the 2024 NFL trade deadline.
Adams will have a $38.2 million cap hit in 2025, so trading him may be complicated. The Jets are expected to release him if they can’t find a taker for the 32-year-old wide-out, per Rapoport.
Justin Fields ‘has edge’ over Russell Wilson with Steelers
Date: March 2
Source: ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler
The Steelers don’t have a quarterback under contract heading into the 2025 NFL offseason. Their two starters from 2024 – Fields and Wilson – are set to be free agents, along with third-string quarterback Kyle Allen.
Fowler reports Pittsburgh has the soon-to-be 26-year-old Fields ahead of Wilson, 36, in its pecking order at quarterback. However, both remain options for the team, and Fields may draw more interest than Wilson on the open market.
The Jets and Raiders are believed to be interested in Fields, per Fowler.
Cowboys could use franchise tag on DT Osa Odighizuwa
Date: March 2
Source: ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler
The Cowboys are trying to agree to a long-term extension with Odighizuwa, the team’s best interior pass rusher. If they can’t agree to a multi-year contract, Fowler reports Dallas will use the franchise tag on Odighizuwa ahead of the March 4 deadline to do so.
Odighizuwa had 4.5 sacks for the Cowboys in 2024 and ranked third among interior defensive linemen with 60 pressures, per Pro Football Focus. If franchised, the 26-year-old would be set to play on a one-year, $25.1 million contract in 2025. Dallas has just under $3.9 million in available cap space, according to OverTheCap.com.
49ers ‘open to trading’ WR Brandon Aiyuk
Date: March 1
Source: Michael Silver, The Athletic
The 49ers traded starting receiver Deebo Samuel during the 2025 NFL combine. Could they also trade Aiyuk? San Francisco appears interested in the possibility, though Silver isn’t sure teams would be willing to trade for Aiyuk on a big-money contract as he recovers from a torn ACL.
49ers general manager John Lynch was asked about the Aiyuk trade rumors at the combine.
‘Yeah, that typically happens with really good players,’ Lynch said, per 49ers Webzone. ‘I remember, I think two years ago, having similar conversations. You get calls, and you always listen to calls.’
49ers trade Deebo Samuel to Commanders
Date: March 1
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport
The 49ers gave Samuel permission to seek a trade ahead of Super Bowl 59. About a month later, they dealt him to the Commanders, who made the NFC championship game last season, for a fifth-round pick.
Samuel had a down year by his standards, logging 51 catches for 670 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games. All marked his lowest totals since the 2020 season, during which he played just seven games.
Samuel has one year remaining on the three-year, $71.55 million extension he signed with the 49ers in 2022. He is due to make $21.7 million in 2025, per NFL.com.
Giants interested in QBs Aaron Rodgers, Sam Darnold
Date: Feb. 28
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter
The Giants were among the teams interested in pursuing Matthew Stafford before he agreed to a restructured contract with the Rams. With Stafford off the table, New York is considering Rodgers – who will be released by the Jets – in its search for a veteran quarterback, per Schefter.
The Giants also hold an interest in Darnold, a player who they considered signing as a backup to Daniel Jones during the 2024 NFL offseason. They ultimately signed Drew Lock to a one-year, $5 million deal while Darnold landed with the Vikings.
Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Sam Darnold among Raiders QB options
Date: Feb. 28
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter
The Raiders were among the teams connected to Matthew Stafford but will have to pivot with the veteran returning to Los Angeles. That could involve chasing one of Darnold, Fields or Wilson as free-agent stopgaps, per Schefter.
Wilson has an obvious connection to the Raiders after spending a decade with Pete Carroll in Seattle. Fields and Darnold represent younger alternatives, with the former possessing excellent mobility and athleticism and the latter coming off a breakout Pro Bowl season under the tutelage of Kevin O’Connell.
