2025 NFL free agency winners, losers: Who got biggest boost from latest contracts, trades?

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2025 NFL free agency winners, losers: Who got biggest boost from latest contracts, trades?

Nate Davis, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Thu, Mar 13, 2025 ·

12 min read

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The NFL 's 2025 league year turned exactly one day old at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday … and so much has already happened. Naturally, many of the moves that were executed Wednesday afternoon and subsequently had been telegraphed well before football New Year's Day – pending free agents permitted to negotiate and agree to deals earlier in the week, and several significant trades framed up even prior to that. Details, details.

As it pertains to this overview, the goal is to assess – yes, winners and losers (and notice the spiffy mirror image pattern!) – what's transpired one day into free agency now that most of the major moves we knew were coming are officially official:

WINNERS

Howie Roseman

The forward-thinking, forward-leaning executive vice president and general manager of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles sweetened the deal of his (maybe arguably) best player, RB Saquon Barkley , when there was no contractual trigger to do so. Roseman also managed to re-sign All-Pro LB Zack Baun , who emerged as a key component of this team (and a Defensive Player of the Year finalist) – a critical move given the serious knee injury fellow LB Nakobe Dean suffered in the playoffs. And keep an eye on G Kenyon Green , who arrived via the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade. A first-round pick of the Houston Texans in 2022, every reason to believe Green will finally approach his potential under the tutelage of offensive line guru Jeff Stoutland. Yes, the Eagles have bled some major talent (CJGJ, DT Milton Williams , OLB Josh Sweat ), but Roseman has potential solutions in his proprietary pipeline , if not another ace up his sleeve.

Ja'Marr Chase

The Cincinnati Bengals have already openly committed to making their All-Pro wide receiver the league's best-compensated non-quarterback. Then the cross-state rival Cleveland Browns made that at least a $40 million-a-year proposition – well beyond the $35 million annual benchmark Justin Jefferson set last year – after extending DE Myles Garrett . Best advice to Ja'Marr? Let Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones pay LB Micah Parsons next … which would also doubtless mean an extended summer vacation for Chase.

Josh Allen

The reigning league MVP took a team-friendly extension with the Buffalo Bills – and, yes, six years and $330 million (with a record $250 million guaranteed) is team friendly given Allen left at least $30 million on the table by not taking the Dak Prescott market rate ($60 million annually). "It didn't seem like from my perspective I was taking a whole lot less," Allen said Wednesday. "(I)t's weird to say this, but what is ($5 million more per year) going to do for my life that I can't already do right now?"

What not having that money is doing for Allen's life is making it easier for the Bills to extend core players like DE Greg Rousseau and LB Terrel Bernard while signing free agent DE Joey Bosa and WR Josh Palmer .

Mike Macdonald's Seattle Seahawks

New quarterback (Sam Darnold) , new defensive enforcer (DE DeMarcus Lawrence), new deep threat (WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling ) and a whole lotta draft picks – five of the top 92 this year – as GM John Schneider retrofits a roster that won 10 games in 2024 into something more in line with the tough, physical group his second-year head coach wants. Expect O-line reinforcements and maybe another receiver to arrive between now and the completion of the draft. This could be a one step back before two steps forward situation – and much will depend on what version of Darnold that Seattle gets coming off his Pro Bowl breakthrough with Minnesota last season. But Macdonald did a pretty masterful job as a rookie coach while essentially handed square pegs to fit into the round holes of his defense-centric, ball-control, smash-mouth philosophy.

40% of Colts ' 2024 Week 1 offensive line

Ex-Indianapolis G Will Fries and C Ryan Kelly were among the veterans who cashed in as the Minnesota Vikings began printing money following the departure of Darnold. (DTs Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave , CB Byron Murphy Jr. , S Harrison Smith and RB Aaron Jones also got their cuts.) Not all that hard to recruit and retain quality veterans when your quarterback is getting paid peanuts relative to his position's overall pay scale. But, with the Darnold and Daniel Jones insurance plans now expired, 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy must prove he's able to do in the NFL what he pulled off at Michigan – executing at an efficient (and sometimes spectacular) level without undermining all the talent that's been amassed around him.

Cam Ward ?

The Tennessee Titans haven't made many (any?) headlines in free agency, though among their fairly quiet additions are LT Dan Moore Jr. – for four years and $82 million if you can believe it – and reliable G Kevin Zeitler . Maybe it's reading tea leaves (and hearing rumors), but starting to seem like the foundation is being laid to take a quarterback – which would be Ward – at the top of the 2025 draft rather than trade out of the No. 1 spot and hope the lights fully come on for incumbent QB1 Will Levis in Year 3.

New England Patriots ' bid for Milton Williams

One of the Eagles' pocket-pushing bullies last season, Williams heads to Foxborough after commanding the largest deal in terms of total money (4 years, $104 million) of any free agent who's switched teams so far. He's also the crown jewel of a Pats spending spree long on quality experience to reduce a glaring talent deficiency (CB Carlton Davis , OLB Harold Landry , LB Robert Spillane , OT Morgan Moses , WR Mack Hollins ) if lacking star power.

Joe Thuney 's new team

The All-Pro offensive lineman was shipped from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Chicago Bears , who also obtained G Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams and signed highly regarded C Drew Dalman, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons . GM Ryan Poles fortified the other side of the trench, too, adding DT Grady Jarrett and DE Dayo Odeyingbo. First-year HC Ben Johnson and second-year QB Caleb Williams stand to benefit greatly after a lost rookie season for the apparent franchise passer – though that seemed more a function of a flawed staff than the talent that was already apparent on this promising roster.

Jayden Daniels

With a nod to second-year Washington Commanders GM Adam Peters, the team's second-year quarterback is watching more talent materialize around him and his cost-controlled contract after the 2024 NFC runners-up acquired WR Deebo Samuel and LT Laremy Tunsil to shore up this offense's major deficiencies. And sure is nice to get high-performing graybeards (and invaluable leaders) like Hall of Fame-caliber LB Bobby Wagner and TE Zach Ertz back.

Rams' newest wide receiver

Davante Adams escaped the rebooting New York Jets , returning to his native West Coast and joining the suited-and-booted Rams. He deservedly – if surprisingly to some – landed as good a contract as any free agent wideout on a per-season basis ($22 million annually) after signing for two years and matching Chris Godwin 's haul ( though that was something of a hometown discount for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is for three years). Adams' stats were quite strong after he joined the Jets at midseason in 2024 (projecting to 104 receptions for 1,320 yards and 11 TDs over 17 games) and could quite conceivably be better in a Sean McVay offense where Puka Nacua slots in as the primary receiver. Nacua even vacated his No. 17 jersey so Adams could continue sporting his familiar digits.

Aaron Rodgers

Now that the Jets have gotten around to officially releasing him, the four-time league MVP is a free agent for the first time after 20 seasons in the NFL. He'll also doubtless be the belle of the ball for a period of time as he chooses his next team … though only because most folks have already left the dance.

Myles Garrett

That bank account looks pretty good now that the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year is the highest-paid non-quarterback – for now – in league history after accepting an extension that averages at least $40 million.

LOSERS

Myles Garrett

That social media plea begging to leave Cleveland in order to pursue a Lombardi Trophy looks pretty weak after he accepted the Browns' money rather than forcing the trade he could have eventually manifested. But to each his own.

Russell Wilson

Even as he begins proactively visiting potential employers like the Browns and New York Giants , he's been pretty vocal – literally and also digitally – regarding his desire to remain with the Pittsburgh Steelers , horrifically as his first season in the Steel City ended . But appears as if Mr. Unlimited's options ... are currently limited by Rodgers' decision matrix, however long that takes to play out.

Rams' ex-wide receiver (and an over-the-hill gang)

While Adams and Godwin got plenty of new money, Super Bowl 56 MVP Cooper Kupp had to accept a release from the Rams he never wanted … though he will doubtless land on his feet, bag in hand, soon enough. Elsewhere, DeAndre Hopkins won't make more than $6 million in 2025 to serve as what's likely QB Lamar Jackson's fourth option (at best) with the Baltimore Ravens . Elsewhere, Stefon Diggs , Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper – all will be past 31 by Week 1 and all seem past their primes to varying degrees – remain unemployed.

C.J. Stroud

He was Daniels circa 2023, an Offensive Rookie of the Year who sparked an unexpected turnaround and deep playoff run for the Houston Texans before watching the team attempt to fortify the roster around him in the following offseason – an effort that basically led to a lateral season for Houston. Now? Stroud looks on as his already shaky protection is stripped of Tunsil and Green while hoping that WR Christian Kirk , who was acquired for a song, can manage to be an effective alternative amid Diggs' departure.

Joe Thuney's previous team

The Chiefs managed to keep RG Trey Smith ( franchise tag ), LB Nick Bolton (extension) and WR Hollywood Brown (extension), but S Justin Reid will be missed, among others. Worse, the offensive line that utterly failed QB Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl apparently couldn't afford to retain Thuney but took a two-year, $30 million flyer on former San Francisco 49ers backup Jaylon Moore in free agency … after failed flyers with Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia in 2024 before Thuney shifted over to left tackle out of necessity. That's no longer an option.

Carolina Panthers ' bid for Milton Williams

Finalized > "working to finalize." A bummer in Tar Heel Country, where the Panthers also (over?)paid Jaycee Horn to become the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history.

Shedeur Sanders ?

Is his draft stock being torpedoed by nefarious forces ? Let's wait and see how it all plays out first, especially since Sanders has never projected as a diamond-cutting NFL prospect anyway and might wind up the beneficiary of a thin quarterback crop this year. But what is clear is that several of the QB-needy teams atop the draft board (Jets, Las Vegas Raiders , New Orleans Saints ) have firmed up the position in some fashion while the Titans, Browns and Giants all seem to be lining up contingency plans of their own. Would it be a shock if Sanders still winds up in the top 10? A little but not necessarily. Would it be a shock if he slides into Day 2? A little but not necessarily.

60% of Colts' 2024 Week 1 offensive line

LT Bernhard Raimann , All-Pro LG Quenton Nelson and RT Braden Smith constitute a strong foundation of a unit Indy GM Chris Ballard has routinely resourced. But … now they (and the rest of the team) will be hoping for the best as wildly inconsistent former first-round QBs Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones vie for starting duties on a squad that could be dangerous – particularly in the AFC South – if it gets at least passable play at its most important position .

Pete Carroll's Seattle Seahawks

The greatest coach in Seattle's history has, of course, been long gone … now joined by QB Geno Smith , WRs DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and quite a few more as ex-Seahawks while Schneider and Macdonald reimagine success for the 12s. But that's fine. Carroll is only worried about where he made his soft landing , and Smith has reunited with him in a bid to revive the Raiders … who still seemingly have a long way to go in order to compete with the rest of the AFC West.

Nick Bosa

Not only did Buffalo outbid his 49ers for big bro Joey – precluding a Bosa brothers bull market in Silicon Valley – the Niners have also been shedding much of their veteran-laden (read: expensive) core amid something of a roster reset while laying the groundwork for the massive contract QB Brock Purdy earned years ago but only just became eligible to sign.

Joe Burrow

The superstar quarterback spent the early part of 2025 – when the Bengals were home for the playoffs – publicly pleading with his team to keep its talented core intact. And while Chase and franchise-tagged WR Tee Higgins are apparently sticking around, Cincinnati seemingly let itself get priced out of DE Trey Hendrickson's market while letting Chase's steadily spin out of control (though the Bengals may actually be holding Hendrickson hostage rather than legitimately allowing him to leave via trade). Burrow may have all the weapons he wants … and he may desperately need them to produce 40 points a week for this team to remain relevant.

Vic Fangio

The masterful coordinator of Philadelphia's defense has lost four starters from his Super Sunday lineup – and that doesn't include Williams, who subbed into the rotation that day. Fortunately for Fangio, Roseman has a strong succession plan in place – but he still doubtless has plenty of work ahead in attempting to maintain the level of a unit that finished the 2024 season ranked first overall before wrecking shop against Mahomes and the Chiefs.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2025 NFL free agency winners, losers: Who's fared best, worst so far?

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