2025 NFL free agency: 10 best unsigned players and where they might land

NFL free agency technically just started Wednesday afternoon, but it’s always a blur of activity early on, such that only 28 players in our FOX Sports top 100 free agents remain unsigned the morning after.

So who’s left? The biggest names are two veteran quarterbacks still deciding their futures, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. They are the last major dominoes to fall before teams start turning to the draft to fill their remaining starting jobs. Here are the 10 best free agents still available and our projections for where they might land.

He’s a four-time MVP, but was cut loose by the Jets and is now walking the beach, pondering what could/should be his final NFL team. He’s 41, but if you just look at his 2024 stats — 3,897 yards, 28 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions — they’re not that bad. Does he stay in New York and slide over to the Giants, who absolutely need a quarterback but are far from being a playoff team? Or does he sign with the Steelers or Vikings and shoot for a final postseason run?

Seeing how well the Vikings have ramped up both sides of the line of scrimmage this week, you wonder if they have the confidence to put a talented team coming off a 13-win season in the hands of an unproven young quarterback in J.J. McCarthy. Rodgers probably needs to ratchet down his salary expectations. After all, is the priority to make a lot more money, or finish his legacy on the upswing? By the way, Packers to Jets to Vikings is the full Brett Favre arc.

Best bet: Vikings

RELATED: Steelers, Giants … or Vikings? The latest on Aaron Rodgers Watch

Pittsburgh had two quarterbacks in 2024 and now might have none, with Justin Fields already signed with the Jets. Wilson fell hard after a promising start last season — 16 touchdowns against five interceptions is fine, but he’s 36 and his last playoff win was in 2019, so there are scenarios where he doesn’t even have an uncontested starting job.

Like Rodgers, he’s been mentioned with the Giants and will visit there Friday, but his first visit is to Cleveland. The Browns, having locked up Myles Garrett, want to be a competitive team, but their cap flexibility is hamstrung by Deshaun Watson’s contract. Would Wilson take less money just to have a team that will give him one more starting opportunity? Start slow, and Wilson’s career ends with him being replaced by Kenny Pickett. If this plays out, Pittsburgh has a great defense, a couple of star receivers and nobody to throw them the ball. Kirk Cousins anyone?

Best bet: Browns

Kupp was just cut loose by Los Angeles after eight years there. He turns 32 in June and he’s missed at least five games in each of the past three seasons. But teams still see the hope of 2021, when he won the triple crown, leading the NFL in yards, catches and touchdown receptions. The problem is he had 16 TDs that year and has 17 total in the three seasons since.

There are still a few big-name veteran receivers unsigned, so we wonder if Kupp will look for familiarity in coaching. That leads us to Jacksonville, where the Jaguars have an absolute stud in Brian Thomas Jr., but moved on from Christian Kirk and other receivers to clear a spot and salary for … somebody. Jaguars coach Liam Coen was a Rams assistant for four years, two with the receivers, so we’ll pick the reunion.

Best bet: Jaguars

His resurrection from struggling first-round pick with the Jets to sliding inside and helping the Eagles to a Super Bowl championship should produce a strong market. But he’s still unsigned, long after other Philadelphia free agents have landed new jobs. He’s still only 25, and while a new team won’t have Jeff Stoutland coaching him up, he should be coveted as a still-ascending young lineman. We’ll pick Indianapolis, which just lost a young guard in Will Fries to the Vikings and can probably get Becton for a little less than Fries’ $88 million deal.

Best bet: Colts

Diggs tore his ACL in October, ending his only season in Houston after eight games. He’s 31, but beyond the injury concerns, he should be able to get back to his productive self. Last year ended a run of six straight 1,000-yard seasons, and he had 47 catches for 496 yards and three scores before his injury. It isn’t a lock he’ll be healthy and ready for Week 1, but think of him as someone who should be an impact offensive weapon by the end of the upcoming season. We’ll keep him in Texas with Dallas, where he can upgrade their starter opposite CeeDee Lamb.

Best bet: Cowboys

Dobbins is still only 26 and had re-established himself nicely in Los Angeles. But a late-season knee injury made him miss four games, and now the Chargers have signed Najee Harris. As much as people thought the surge of Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry would help the running back market, it’s been pretty rough, with a big extension for Barkley but not a lot of high-dollar investments. We’ll keep Dobbins in the AFC West and let him fill a major need for the Raiders, who want to win quickly with Pete Carroll.

Best bet: Raiders

Dante Fowler, edge, Commanders

Players can still sign back with their original teams, right? After six guys left for new homes, we’ll have Fowler stay put in Washington. The Commanders have added a ton of veterans to build more around quarterback Jayden Daniels, but they would do well to bring back Fowler, who had 10.5 sacks last year, the second-best total in his NFL career. Fowler has an odd pattern where he’s stayed exactly two years with Rams, Falcons and Cowboys, so why not a second season in Washington?

Best bet: Commanders

Robinson got traded to Minnesota as a short-term fix, and he’s the best tackle available now after huge paydays for Dan Moore, Ronnie Stanley and Alaric Jackson. The Patriots went into free agency with the most cap space of any team and have been busy this week, but they still don’t have a left tackle. Perhaps they could fill that in the draft with the No. 4 pick, but we’ll have them invest in another veteran lineman to protect Drake Maye moving forward.

Best bet: Patriots

Guards have gotten some huge contracts this week, but Jenkins was pushed out in the Bears’ impressive retooling of their interior offensive line. He’s 27, arguably the best guard left unsigned, and we’ll pair him with the Chargers, who have the most remaining cap space of any team despite some impact additions. Los Angeles has two great young tackles in Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, but could use an upgrade at guard if they want Najee Harris to pile up yardage in a Jim Harbaugh running attack.

Best fit: Chargers

Cooper, 30, split last season between the Browns and Bills, and reset career lows with just 547 yards and four touchdowns. Is he a bounce-back candidate or fading from stardom? He could go back to Dallas, where he played from 2018-21, but we’ll let him join in on the Patriots’ sign-apalooza. They were connected to some of the biggest receivers available but have only signed … Mack Hollins. Another inter-divisional transplant might have more impact in New England.

Best bet: Patriots

Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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