New league year is officially underway as free agency begins

Free agency is in full swing as the new league year began at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. All signings that were agreed to during the FA legal tampering period are now official, and most big names are already off the board. That’s not to say there aren’t any good players left, but we’ll get to that later. For now, let’s take a look at the most significant moves that have been made over the past few days. . .

New faces in new places

Seahawks find replacement for Geno Smith: Seattle signed former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold to a three year, $100.5 million contract. The Seahawks traded Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders a few days earlier.

Bills sign pass rusher Joey Bosa: Some expected Bosa to end up with his brother Nick in San Francisco, but he opted for Buffalo instead on a one-year, $12.6 million deal. This move followed the decision to cut ties with Von Miller just days before.

Patriots beef up their defensive front seven: With the defensive-minded Mike Vrabel now at head coach, New England signed former Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Harold Landry (three years, $43.5 million) and former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams (four years, $104 million).

Jets get their QB: New York signed former Pittsburgh Steelers backup QB Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million deal with $30 million guaranteed. That amount of money all but locks in Fields as the Jets’ starter.

Colts make moves on both sides of the ball: Indianapolis signed Daniel Jones to a one-year, $14 million contract with $13.5 guaranteed to serve as its backup QB. That’s pretty big money to hold a clipboard. The Colts also signed former All-Pro cornerback Charvarius Ward to a three-year, $60 million contract with $35 million guaranteed.

Jaguars solidify their secondary: Jacksonville signed CB Jourdan Lewis (three-years, $30 million) and safety Eric Murray (three years, $22.5 million).

Titans sign polarizing offensive lineman: Tennessee gave former Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Dan Moore Jr. a four-year, $82 million deal. Many feel that the Titans overpaid for him after an inconsistent 2024 season.

Broncos aren’t messing around on defense: Denver added former 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga (three years, $45 million) and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (three years, $35 million) to its already stacked defense.

Chargers get their running back: Los Angeles signed Najee Harris to a one-year, $5.25 million contract.

Giants invest in a pair of defensive backs: New York signed CB Paulson Adebo (three years, $54 million) and S Jevon Holland (three years, $45.3 million) to improve its secondary.

Bears are building the trenches: Chicago signed center Drew Dalman (three years, $32 million), defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (three years, $48 million), and DT Grady Jarrett (three years, $43.5 million).

Vikings shore up the middle of their defensive line: Minnesota spent big on DTs Jonathan Allen (three years, $51 million) and Javon Hargrave (two years, $30 million).

Saints re-unite dynamic S duo: New Orleans signed former Kansas City Chief Justin Reid to pair with Tyrann Mathieu, who played together with the Houston Texans in 2018.

Cardinals snag top pass rusher: Arizona signed OLB Josh Sweat to a four-year, $76.4 million contract, reuniting him with coach Jonathan Gannon.

Chiefs fill multiple roster holes: Kansas City signed LT Jaylon Moore (two years, $30 million), RB Elijah Mitchell (one year, $3.5 million), and CB Kristian Fulton (two-years, $20 million).

Key re-signings

WR Chris Godwin stays put: Godwin re-signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they gave him a three-year, $66 million contract with $44 million guaranteed.

WR Khalil Shakir and S Damar Hamlin extended: The Bills signed Shakir to a four year, $60.2 million extension and Hamlin is returning on a one-year, $2 million deal.

Bengals keeps two key pieces: Cincinnati re-signed tight end Mike Gesicki to a three-year deal worth $25.5 million, as well as DT B.J. Hill on a three-year, $33 million contract.

Texans re-sign a pair of pass rushers: Houston will be keeping DE Derek Barnett and DT Mario Edwards Jr in 2025.

Return of the Mack: The Chargers re-signed LB Khalil Mack to a one-year, $18 million deal which could be the last of his career.

WR Darius Slayton staying in the Big Apple: The Giants re-signed the veteran to a three-year, $38 million contract.

Commanders re-sign TE duo: Washington is keeping both Zach Ertz (one year, $6.25 million) and John Bates (three years, $21 million).

Continuity on the defensive line for Detroit: The Lions re-signed DE Marcus Davenport and DT Levi Onwuzurike to one-year deals.

Saints extend emerging playmaker: New Orleans signed TE Juwan Johnson to a three-year, $35.5 million extension.

No QB of the future for Rams just yet: Jimmy Garoppolo will remain Matthew Stafford’s backup QB one a one-year contract.

Jaycee Horn becomes highest paid CB in history: The Carolina Panthers gave Horn a four-year, $100 million contract extension with $70 million guaranteed.

S Harrison Smith isn’t done yet: After mulling retirement, Smith is back with the Vikings on a one-year, $10.25 million base salary with a potential max of $14 million.

Big-time trades

Eagles trade QB Kenny Pickett, S C.J. Gardner-Johnson: The Cleveland Browns acquired Pickett in exchange for QB Dorian-Thompson Robinson and a 2025 fifth-round draft pick. The Texans surrendered guard Kenyon Green and a 2025 fifth-round pick for Gardner-Johnson.

Houston trades LT Laremy Tunsil: The Commanders gave up a 2025 third-round pick, 2025 seventh-round pick, 2026 second-round pick, and 2025 fourth-round pick for Tunsil and a 2025 fourth-round pick.

Bills trade CB Kaiir Elam: The Cowboys acquired Elam and a 2025 sixth-round pick in exchange for a 2025 fifth and seventh-round pick.

➡️ Keep tabs on our NFL-wide 2025 FA tracker, featuring every move made by each team.

Aaron Rodgers, Cooper Kupp released

Aaron Rodgers

© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Rodgers and Kupp are atop the list of remaining free agents. The Jets are moving forward with a new look offense, and the Rams have released Kupp after failing to find a trade for him. Both players will be highly sought after and may not remain on the market for long.

Why are the Jets letting Rodgers walk? It’s really as simple as New York undergoing a rebuild (again) and Rodgers wanting to win now as his time left in the league is limited. The Jets have a new head coach in Aaron Glenn, a new offensive coordinator in Tanner Engstrand, and also released WR Davante Adams last week. Gone are Rodgers’ MVP-caliber days, but in the right situation he can still play well enough to make a deep postseason run.

Where could Rodgers end up? He has recently been linked to the Steelers, Vikings, Seahawks, and Giants. One would think Pittsburgh and Minnesota would be at the top of that list for Rodgers. Seattle just parted ways with its top two WRs and has major question marks at offensive line, and the Giants are as much of a mess as the Jets are. The Steelers now have a dynamic WR duo in George Pickens and D.K. Metcalf, and the Vikings are loaded on both sides of the ball.

Why are the Rams letting Kupp walk? To put plainly — money and injuries. Releasing Kupp saves the Rams $15 million in salary cap space, but they won’t reap the benefits of those savings quite yet since they designated him as a post-June 1 cut. L.A. did not feel like Kupp’s contract was justified considering he has missed 18 games over the past three seasons. The Rams moved on by signing Davante Adams to a two-year deal last week.

Where could Kupp end up? Despite his injury issues, the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year will have a strong market. Our A to Z Sports writers made cases for the Jaguars, Lions, Packers, Patriots, Bears. and Seahawks to all pursue Kupp’s services. Kupp ending up in an already explosive Detroit offense would be insane. While they could definitely use him, Kupp signing with the Jags or Seahawks would be underwhelming. Green Bay has needed a high end WR for years, and Kupp could take QB Jordan Love’s game to the next level. The same could be said for Patriots QB Drake Maye, who showed promise as a rookie last season. Chicago is going all in for second year QB Caleb Williams, so why not bring in Kupp as well?