NFL free agency 2025: Top 10 players available, including Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Rico Dowdle

A ton of dominos has fallen during the first two days of the NFL’s legal tampering period, with several big-name free agents reportedly coming to terms on new deals. A lot of marquee players have found new homes, but there are still a lot of good players available as we gear up for the first official day of free agency. 

The tampering period kicked off on Monday with two quarterbacks finding new NFL homes. Justin Fields, after deciding to test free agency despite the Steelers‘ attempts to re-sign him, reportedly agreed to a two-year, $40 million deal with the New York Jets that includes $30 million guaranteed. Shortly after Fields landed with the Jets, the Seattle Seahawks reportedly signed Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million deal just days after trading former Pro Bowler Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. 

More notable players found new NFL homes on Tuesday, including former Dolphins safety Jevon Holland, who reportedly came to terms on a three-year, $45.3 million deal with the New York Giants. Will Fries, the former Colt and the top-available offensive lineman going into Tuesday, reportedly agreed to a five-year, $88 million deal with the Vikings. Former Chiefs safety Justin Reid reportedly came to terms on a three-year, $31.5 million deal with the New Orleans Saints. 

Here’s a look at the top-10 players who are still available. It should be noted that the following ranking is not solely about talent, it’s also about market demand and the position they play. 

Rodgers is technically not a free agent until his official release from the Jets on Wednesday. He might not be the best player still available, but he is a future Hall of Famer who plays the most important position in all of sports, so him taking the top spot was kind of a no-brainer. 

It appears that the Steelers have the inside track at landing Rodgers after missing out on Fields. But the Giants (who re-signed receiver Darius Slayton on Monday) are also still in the mix. There are rumblings that Rodgers’ third NFL team will be revealed at some point on Tuesday. 

Like Rodgers, Wilson is probably not the second-best player still available. But he is a possible future Hall of Fame quarterback who was named to his 10th Pro Bowl in 2024. 

At this point, it appears that Wilson will sign with whomever doesn’t land Rodgers. That could mean a return to Pittsburgh for the 2025 season. A dark-horse candidate for both Rodgers and Wilson is the Vikings after Minnesota watched Darnold leave for Seattle. 

Oddly, one of the lone bright spots for the 2024 Dallas Cowboys hasn’t been re-signed by the team. A former undrafted rookie, Dowdle won the starting job last year and literally ran with it. He racked up 1,079 yards on the ground while averaging a solid 4.6 yards per carry. 

Dowdle would be a good fit for several teams (including the Steelers, who reportedly lost Najee Harris to the Los Angeles Chargers), but his market is likely being hindered by the fact that this year’s draft class is considered to be littered with talented players at his position. J.K. Dobbins is another notable running back who is also looking for a new NFL home. 

A former first-round pick who didn’t pan out with the Jets, Becton enjoyed a career rebirth last year while helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl. A big reason for Becton’s success last year was him moving from tackle to the interior of the offensive line. Becton is only 26 and has shown considerable growth at both run blocking and in pass protection. 

Like former teammate and 2021 draft classmate Fields, Jenkins is hoping to revive his career with a new team after things didn’t necessarily pan out in Chicago. Like Becton, Jenkins’ play has improved after transitioning from tackle to guard. He’s also young (27) and already has 40 starts under his belt. 

As you can see, offensive line is probably the deepest position group in this year’s free agency class. The top-rated center available, Myers started in each of his first 56 NFL games. A 2021 second-round pick, Myers also has four playoff starts under his belt while playing with Rodgers and current Packers starting quarterback Jordan Love. Myers could return to the Packers if he doesn’t find a desirable deal in free agency. 

Several defensive backs reportedly found new teams on Monday, but Douglas is still available. Arguably the best cornerback still available, Douglas’ career so far includes a Super Bowl win with the Eagles (in 2017, his rookie season) and a year that saw him record a league-best two interception returns for scores (in 2021 as a member of the Packers). Douglas is a good fit for teams that like to play zone. 

Age might be the main reason why the 35-year-old Zeitler hasn’t been signed yet. Despite his age, Zeitler has continued to play well in recent seasons. He was named to his first career Pro Bowl with the Ravens in 2023 and made 16 starts for the Lions last season. 

Cooper is looking to rebound following a disappointing 2024 season that saw him produce the lowest stat lines of his career. Cooper, though, is just two years removed from his 2023 campaign that saw him record a career-best 1,250 yards receiving. A receiver-needy team should take a chance on him if the price is right. 

The 38-year-old Campbell hasn’t officially confirmed whether or not he wants to play in 2025. But if he does decide to return for an 18th season, Campbell may get signed by a team that has a realistic shot at winning a Super Bowl, something that has alluded him to this point in his career. The Lions have recently been named by multiple outlets as a possible landing spot for Campbell, who had five sacks and a dozen tackles for loss last season as a member of the Dolphins.