With a whirlwind of signings and trades now officially on the books as the NFL ushers in a new league year, all 32 teams have been busy building up and tearing down rosters to find a winning formula.
Rebuilding clubs like the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots have opened up their wallets to surround their young QBs with stronger cores along the trenches. Contenders in Baltimore and L.A. have added some talent on offence while keeping franchise cornerstones in place. We’ve seen a few history-making contracts signed at the edge-rusher position (we see you, Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett) and headline-making trades coming out of the Pacific Northwest.
So, what should make of all this? And what else is still to come?
There are still plenty of players on the market and many moves to be made as free agency officially opens up following a busy few days of the legal tampering period. With that in mind, here are four of our biggest questions as we look ahead to the next wave of free agency to come and what it means for the off-season now in full swing.
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Are the Seahawks rebuilding?
With their 10-7 record, just one tie-breaker away from a division crown in the wide-open NFC West, the 2024 Seattle Seahawks looked like a team on the rise at the best possible time. But after a flurry of moves headlined by the trade of Geno Smith to Las Vegas on Friday and the signing of his replacement, Sam Darnold, on Monday, it’s hard to know what to make of the 2025 Seahawks. That the team also traded away D.K. Metcalf and further broke up the core by letting Tyler Lockett walk in free agency adds to the giant question mark hovering over Seattle right now.
Darnold excelled in Minnesota behind a strong offensive line and with a wealth of talent to throw to in a scheme that was incredibly quarterback-friendly. It’s hard to look at the Seahawks’ recent struggles along its own o-line and now its lack of WR depth and see a situation that sets up Darnold for similar success.
So, is this a rebuild? A retool? A re-assessment one year into head coach Mike Macdonald’s tenure and with a new offensive coordinator at the helm in Klint Kubiak? (It’s worth noting that Kubiak and Darnold worked together in San Francisco in 2023, so there is some familiarity there.)
As baffling as these recent moves may be, GM John Schneider has earned the benefit of the doubt. He was the architect behind the Legion of Boom, taking the club from tear-down to top of the league within his first four seasons at the helm, and over his 15-year tenure has overseen 12 winning seasons and 10 playoff berths. He’s now armed with plenty of draft capital and cap space to fill the roster holes and answer the question on everyone’s mind: Where, exactly, is this team going? We don’t know yet, but it should be fascinating to watch.
Where will Aaron Rodgers land?
The 2025 quarterback carousel has made its first rotation: Smith to Vegas, Darnold to Seattle, Justin Fields to the New York Jets on a bridge deal, and Daniel Jones to Indianapolis to vie for the starting gig against Anthony Richardson.
The second rotation revolves pretty much entirely around Aaron Rodgers, who was officially released by the Jets on Wednesday. The 41-year-old is intent on continuing his career after his disastrous tenure with the Jets was cut short, and appears to be choosing between two options: the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants.
The Steelers’ arsenal of receiving weapons just doubled in size with the acquisition of D.K. Metcalf, who alongside fellow big WR George Pickens have to make for an enticing duo capable of busting an offence wide open and deep downfield. And the club’s tradition of success under head coach Mike Tomlin brings a stark contrast to the chaos of Gang Green last year.
And yet, reports of Rodgers’ interest in the Giants — a fun, young weapon in Malik Nabers, a city he’s embraced, and a franchise with its own tradition of winning, albeit well back in the rear-view mirror at this point — has garnered plenty of headlines, too.
Waiting along with the rest of us for Rodgers’ decision is Russell Wilson. Reports suggest last year’s Steelers starter is likely to sign with Rodgers’ runner-up, which could mean a return to Pittsburgh should Rodgers opt to stay in The Big Apple.
Recent history tells us Rodgers operates on his own terms, and at his own pace, which means we could be waiting a while.
Who’s in the market for a WR?
You could declare wide receiver Davante Adams the biggest winner of free agency so far, and you wouldn’t be wrong. After coming off a difficult season between the Raiders and Jets, the 32-year-old faced a crossroads in free agency and landed on a path that led him home to L.A. — and on a contender, too. Adams should fit in perfectly with the Rams, where he’ll suit up alongside Puka Nacua catching passes from Matthew Stafford.
Adams’ two-year deal could be worth as much as $46 million, which is a fair price on both sides for a veteran with his track record, and one considered the top guy available after the Bengals franchise tagged would-be UFA Tee Higgins and Tampa Bay re-signed Chris Godwin. But what does it mean for other receivers still on the market?
DeAndre Hopkins is off the table after landing in Baltimore, but plenty more talent remains available. The class, which includes Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, and Keenan Allen among the veterans available, is now headlined by Cooper Kupp. Kupp was released by the Rams on Wednesday after L.A. couldn’t find a trade partner.
Interesting teams to watch in this secondary WR market include Seattle, Chicago, Carolina, the Chargers, and perhaps also the Giants, whose QB situation remains in flux.
What’s the fallout of Myles Garrett’s record-setting contract in Cleveland?
Credit to Cleveland, who took a messy situation with Myles Garrett’s trade request and wiped the slate clean with a record-setting contract agreement worthy of their star pass-rusher. The Browns haven’t gotten much right these last few years, and still have a mountain of work ahead if they’re to emerge from the Deshaun Watson catastrophe and surround Garrett with enough talent to contend. But still, a rare win.
The deal makes Garrett the league’s highest-paid non-QB, just a few days after the Raiders bestowed that honour on their own big-name defender, Maxx Crosby. The value of edge rushers has never been higher, thanks to the Eagles and their own contributions to the market, and now our focus turns to who’s up next.
Down in Dallas, Micah Parson has to be pleased with his peers — it’s safe to say his ask just went up in this pivotal off-season for the Cowboys. (Dallas has a reputation for stretching out contract talks for months on end, so patience will probably be key here.) But there’s another top edge likely watching closely, and he plays in Garrett’s division: Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who despite playing for a dismal defence in Cincinnati still led the entire NFL in sacks in 2024. Hendrickson has requested a trade, and now that the big names are off the market — Josh Sweat to Arizona, Milton Williams to New England, Joey Bosa to Buffalo, to name a few — the spotlight on him grows brighter. The Bengals aren’t known for writing big paycheques, and owe big money to Ja’Marr Chase and Higgins which means they’ll likely be priced out of Hendrickson’s next ask. The trade market for him will be interesting — and pricey, too, most likely.
