The unofficial start to NFL free agency started fast and furious.

Several big-name players agreed to terms with teams. Wide receiver Chris Godwin decided to stay put in Tampa Bay and cornerback D.J. Reed is taking his talents to the Motor City. Meanwhile, Sam Darnold is headed to the Pacific Northwest and Justin Fields is going to the Big Apple.

All free agents are allowed to officially sign with teams at 4 p.m. ET on March 12, the official start of the new league year. There’s been a flurry of activity, but there are still several impact players remaining in free agency.

Here are USA TODAY Sports’ top 24 free agents available:

1. Stefon Diggs, wide receiver (2024 team: Texans)

Diggs suffered a torn ACL during his first season in Houston and seems more suited as a No. 2 receiver at this stage of his career. Still, he racked up 47 catches, 496 receiving yards and three touchdowns in eight games, and should be a high-quality secondary receiver as he prepares for his age-32 season.

2. Amari Cooper, wide receiver (2024 team: Bills)

Cooper joined the Bills via trade in October but never connected with Josh Allen. He had 20 catches, 297 receiving yards and two touchdowns in eight regular season games and caught just six passes for 41 yards in the postseason. Cooper turns 31 in June but is still a sharp route runner.

3. Justin Reid, safety (2024 team: Chiefs)

Reid is an anchor in the defensive backfield for the Chiefs. He led the team in tackles in 2023. He’s a reliable safety and a sure tackler. He’s tallied over 80 tackles in all three seasons in Kansas City.

4. Aaron Rodgers, quarterback (2024 team: Jets)

Rodgers’ tenure in New York will ultimately go down as a failure. He suffered a season-ending Achilles tear just four plays into his Jets debut in 2023 and led the team to a 5-12 record in what was a tumultuous 2024 season. There is some silver lining, though. Rodgers performed better during the latter portion of the year. He had a 91-or-above passer rating in four of his final five contests.

5. Cam Robinson, tackle (2024 team: Vikings)

The Vikings traded for Robinson to help stabilize their left tackle position after Christian Darrisaw went down. Robinson filled in nicely in Minnesota. He started in 10 games for the Vikings. At 29 years old, he still has plenty of productive years left.

6. DeAndre Hopkins, wide receiver (2024 team: Chiefs)

Hopkins turned into Kansas City’s top wide receiver in 10 regular-season games. If Hopkins wasn’t 32 years old, he’d be much higher on this list. He’s not the prolific receiver he once was but is still a productive X receiver with sure hands.

7. Keenan Allen, wide receiver (2024 team: Bears)

Allen will be 33 years old at the start of next season. He saw his numbers decline during his first year in Chicago. Is the dip in production a sign of things to come, or was it a byproduct of Caleb Williams’ up-and-down rookie season with the Bears? It’s probably both, but Allen remains a savvy route runner.

8. Joey Bosa, edge (2024 team: Chargers)

Bosa is still a productive edge rusher when on the field. He was limited to 18 total starts the past three years due to various injuries. His $36.4 million cap hit in 2025 made him unattainable for the Chargers. He’s tallied 72 career sacks in nine seasons.

9. Jonathan Allen, defensive tackle (2024 team: Commanders)

The Commanders released the two-time Pro Bowler after eight seasons in the nation’s capital.  Allen missed action due to a torn left pectoral injury last season but was able to return to the field and help the Commanders reach the NFC championship game. Allen’s been durable prior to this past year. He’s only had two seasons in which he’s played less than 15 games. He’s compiled 401 tackles, 42 sacks and 60 tackles for loss in 109 career regular-season games.

10. Russell Wilson, quarterback (2024 team: Steelers)

Wilson helped the Steelers get into the playoffs, but the team’s passing offense never really got going. He averaged 225 passing yards per game for a Steelers club that had the 23rd ranked offense in the league. He still throws a pretty deep ball but has a propensity to turn down intermediate passes. The 36-year-old QB can still be a capable starter in the right situation.

11. Javon Hargrave, defensive tackle (2024 team: 49ers)

Hargrave was a coveted free agent just a couple years ago. The interior defensive lineman never lived up to his massive contract in San Francisco, but he did earn a Pro Bowl invite in 2023. His 2024 season was cut short due to torn triceps.

12. J.K. Dobbins, running back (2024 team: Chargers)

Dobbins rushed for a lifetime-best 905 yards in his first year with the Chargers. He has a career average of over five yards a carry. But injuries have followed Dobbins throughout his NFL tenure.  

13. Evan Engram, tight end (2024 team: Jaguars)

A pass-catching tight end, Engram caught 114 balls in 2023. A torn labrum limited him to just nine games last season.

14. Justin Simmons, safety (2024 team: Falcons)

Simmons was regarded as one of the top safeties in the NFL a few seasons ago. He formed a nice combo with Jessie Bates in Atlanta. He’s still a starting safety but not the perennial All-Pro that he was during his days in Denver.

15. Will Fries, guard (2024 team: Colts)

Fries broke his tibia in Week 5. He was limited to just 268 total snaps last year. He started all 17 regular-season games for the Colts in 2023.

16. Julian Blackmon, safety (2024 team: Colts)

Blackmon started 62 career games in Indy. He’s registered at least three interceptions and 86 tackles the past two seasons.

17. Teven Jenkins, guard (2024 team: Bears)

The Bears were comfortable letting Jenkins walk after they revamped their interior O-line. Jenkins was responsible for four sacks and 17 pressures in 738 snaps.

18. Kristian Fulton, cornerback (2024 team: Chargers)

Fulton had a rebound year in Los Angeles. He allowed a 62.5% completion percentage as the Chargers’ starting outside corner.

19. Dante Fowler, edge (2024 team: Commanders)

Fowler is coming off one of his best seasons as a situational pass rusher. He led the Commanders with 10.5 sacks. The former top-5 pick will be 31-years old at the start of next season. He might be best as a situational pass rusher at this stage of his career.

20. Azeez Ojulari, edge (2024 team: Giants)

Ojulari flashed during his rookie season when he tallied a career-best eight sacks. His rookie year is still his best statistical season. The potential is there but needs to show development as an edge rusher.   

21. Asante Samuel Jr., cornerback (2024 team: Chargers)

Samuel started the season as the Chargers’ starting corner. He ended the year in unheralded fashion on injured reserve after 11 games. He has solid coverage skills but not a sure tackler.

22. Mekhi Becton, guard (2024 team: Eagles)

Becton revitalized his career with the Eagles. He allowed three sacks and 25 pressures at right guard. After a rocky start to his career at tackle with the Jets, the former first-round pick seems to have found a home at guard.

23. Kyzir White, linebacker (2024 team: Cardinals)

White produced 137 tackles in 17 starts in Arizona last year. He’s an athletic linebacker who’s had four straight seasons with at least 90 tackles.  

24. Demarcus Lawrence, edge (2024 team: Cowboys)

A foot injury cut Lawrence’s 2024 season to just four games. He was the Cowboys’ second-best pass rusher when healthy. He’ll be 33 years old at the start of next season.

The New York Jets exhibited something Monday by agreeing to a deal with Justin Fields as their presumptive starting quarterback that has been severely lacking from the organization throughout their 14 straight seasons of missing the playoffs.

Self-awareness.

Nobody in the Jets front office under first-year general manager Darren Mougey will be clamoring to say this is slam-dunk move. This isn’t a long-term marriage, as the contract is a reported two years at $40 million with $30 million guaranteed, which seems like a boatload of cash, but for a quarterback in this day and age simply is not. This is a rebound from what turned into a toxic relationship with Aaron Rodgers, after the new regime told Rodgers a combination of “it’s not you, it’s us” and “thanks but no thanks” and broke up for the 2025 season.

Fields’ track record is not pleasant. He “went” 4-2 as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starter last season, although all he had to do was take care of the ball and make a play here or there while riding the success of the defense and special teams.

Russell Wilson took over in Week 7 and Fields barely saw the field again outside of some quarterback-run packages. You’re hoping for Fields to perform and produce at a level he did not reach over his first three-plus seasons in the NFL. Signing Fields required a “what do we have to lose?” mindset. And, well, looking at the last decade and a half – can the Jets really have that much more losing on the horizon? (Keep that sarcastic answer to yourself.)

The 2025 draft contains a weak quarterback class and the Jets pick seventh. The likelihood both Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders – the two touted signal-callers slated to go at the top of the draft – are off the board is high. Maybe the Jets can come back in the second round for Jaxson Dart (although his first-round odds are ticking up) or Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, who has a similar skillset to Fields. The other quarterback in New York currently is backup Tyrod Taylor.

Fields turned 26 on March 5 and can’t yet be considered a finished product. First-year head coach Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand can enter Year 1 with a quarterback who has started 44 games over four seasons but still has plenty of upside. Calling him a lottery ticket is a stretch. No sane person can picture Justin Fields hoisting the Lombardi Trophy any time soon. But were he to blossom in a Jets jersey – and this would be a problem the Jets would love to have – all that would need to be done is an extension. Or a trade, which figures to net benefit “Gang Green.” If Fields wilts, it’s back to a familiar place at 1 Jets Drive: the drawing board.  

There are young pieces all over the offense Fields can work with. He’ll share a backfield with running backs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen. He’ll reunite with Buckeyes teammate and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, and perhaps that connection can prove to the most fruitful of Wilson’s career. Olu Fashanu, the 11th overall pick last year, will be a starting tackle this season, while center Joe Tippmann and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker are also solid young linemen.

By far, Fields’ best attribute has been his legs. In 2022, when he started 15 games for the Bears (a career high) he rushed for 1,143 yards and averaged 7.1 yards per carry. Fields also led the league in fumbles (16) and ball-security woes have hampered him throughout his career.

The last time the Jets attempted to draft their quarterback of the future they went with Zach Wilson over Fields at No. 2 overall in 2021. Fields went 11th to the Chicago Bears, where he started for three seasons and never delivered on the promise he showed during college at Ohio State. But it’s funny how that decision by ex-general manager Joe Douglas has come full circle. It feels like the cosmos straightened things out for an organization that hasn’t been able to get out of its own way.

The Jets nonetheless have bigger problems than quarterback (cough, ownership, cough). In fact, quarterback still may be a massive issue, even after the Fields signing. This doesn’t automatically immunize the Jets from being the butt of the joke from another season. But it wasn’t a desperate move. And that’s a good start on what will be a long road to relevance.  

The next time you hear someone, anyone, from college sports complain about a lack of revenue, laugh in their face. 

They’ll have you believe those mean, greedy players have sidetracked an amateur sports world of faithful and loyal do-gooders, and ransacked it for every dollar it’s worth.

If I had $1,000 for every time a college football coach declared the current world of college sports “unsustainable,” I could pay Luka Doncic’s contract extension. 

And speaking of extension, that’s where this story turns to the absurd. Late last week, Oregon decided to extend coach Dan Lanning, who was last seen on the big stage trailing 34-0 in the College Football Playoff Rose Bowl quarterfinal — as the nation’s No.1 ranked team. 

That’s nearly $11 million per over six years for Lanning – and $60.4 million guaranteed – who has lost too many games of significance as a head coach.

I don’t blame Lanning for his agent getting everything he can out of Oregon. I blame Oregon, and the 69 other Power Four schools that include Oregon State and Washington State, who have claimed poverty since the NCAA in 2021 decided to open up a can of NIL and free player movement — at the same damn time. 

(To this day, the dumbest move in a long, long line of dumb NCAA moves).

I blame the entire 70 schools that – are you ready for this? – will make an estimated $7.4 billion in fiscal year 2025-26, and as much as $10.5 billion by 2034-35, according to a declaration filed last week in support of the multi-billion dollar House settlement. 

And still can’t figure out how to pay players without claiming the world is coming to an end. 

SPRING POWER RANKINGS: Big Ten | SEC | ACC | Big 12

LOOKING AHEAD: Our way-too-early college football Top 25 for 2025

Without adding more games to a postseason that already is competing with the NFL for television eyes. Without eating one of its own (RIP, Pac-12), and leaving two others (ACC, Big 12) scrambling for crumbs. 

The NCAA and attorneys representing players are awaiting final approval of the House case settlement – which would officially approve, in essence, pay for play through NIL – from U.S. District Court judge Claudia Wilken. It should come as no surprise that Wilkin will hold a hearing on April 7, which just so happens to coincide with the Final Four national championship game. 

The very tournament the NCAA earns an average of $1.1 billion annually over the course of an eight-year contract with media rights partners CBS and Turner.

You can’t make this up, people.

The declaration filed last week by economics expert Dan Rascher – who has served as the NCAA’s numbers cruncher in just about every antitrust lawsuit against the association – admitted the exorbitant cash flow through the 70 Power conference schools. But here’s where it gets a little tricky, so stay with me. 

The House settlement player pool (see: salary cap) is based on a percentage of eight revenue streams, including but not limited to media rights, ticket sales and bowl/playoff games. But the settlement numbers aren’t based off the entire athletic department revenue.

For example, Texas’ total operating athletic revenue for the 2024 fiscal year was $331.9 million, but its figure for the eight categories used for the pool calculation was $172.1 million. Cincinnati’s pool calculation was $38.8 million.

Under the terms of the agreement, the total of the eight revenue streams from the 70 power conference schools is pooled together, and the players would receive a percentage of that revenue that is expected to be between $20-23 million per school for the first year after the settlement. That number is guaranteed to increase by at least 4% in each of the two years.

The goal of equalizing the number for all schools is to prevent programs like Texas from spend more money on players than smaller programs like Cincinnati. Remember, the $20-23 million is what schools are allowed to spend on players in all the men’s and women’s programs for the use of their NIL — if they choose to.

This takes us all the way back to Lanning and every other coach and assistant coach who signed mega deals this offseason. Steve Sarkisian got a pay raise to $10.8 million annually, and Bill Belichick got $10 million annually to become North Carolina football coach.

Jim Knowles got $3.1 million annually to leave Ohio State and become Penn State’s defensive coordinator, a salary greater than 74 FBS head coaches had last season.

Yet here we go again, coaches and athletic directors and conference commissioners complaining about an “unsustainable” environment in college athletics.

Imagine an association of 70 schools, who have willingly pulled away from the rest of college sports – with a combined budget of $7.4 billion for the academic year – making player salaries the financial boogeyman.

Maybe, just maybe, stop increasing debt service with “facility improvements.” Or if you simply must have new stadiums and arenas and ballparks, and new stand-alone football and basketball facilities because recruits just need that new bling, stop paying coaches to not coach.

Stop paying millions to high school players who have never taken a snap of college football. Stop paying general managers for a job that can (and should) be done by the head coach and athletic director.

Stop paying for a staff of 40, or millions upon millions in recruiting budgets. Stop paying for coaches to take a helicopter to a high school game, so he looks different from every other coach there — to impress a 17-year-old kid.

And college sports has no idea why it finds itself in this predicament.

Lanning is 3-4 vs. rivals Washington and Oregon State, 1-1 in conference championship games and 0-1 in CFP games. And just got $60 million — no matter what happens over the next six seasons.

There’s your unsustainable, everyone. 

And it’s nothing to laugh about.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

Jevon Holland has agreed to a deal with the New York Giants, ending his free agent journey.

Holland’s deal with the Giants will span three years and will pay him $45.3 million, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The contract could be worth as much as $46.8 million and comes with $30.3 million in guarantees.

The 25-year-old’s signing comes after the Miami Dolphins declined to place the franchise tag on him and gave him the opportunity to test the free agent waters after four years in South Beach.

Checking in as the top safety available on the market, Holland figured to be in demand despite coming off what was his worst season in the league. The Dolphins selected him in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, becoming a fixture in the back-end of the Miami defense.

Head coach Mike McDaniel previously didn’t seem optimistic about the team’s chances of bringing Holland back.

‘Jevon has earned the right to go out and test his market,’ McDaniel said via the Sun Sentinel.

The Dolphins’ salary cap situation hasn’t afforded them much flexibility this offseason, which leaves them facing difficult roster decisions going forward.

USA TODAY’s Jacob Camenker also contributed to this report.

In my (very humble) estimation, Sam Darnold was always going to be the prize of free agency in 2025 – and I mean free agency, don’t conflate that with how I regard Myles Garrett, for example.

But that opinion is more a byproduct of how few potentially franchise-changing veterans reach the open market anymore – quarterbacks especially – than a sure-fire belief that the Super Bowl window is now wide open for the Seattle Seahawks, who, per multiple reports, agreed to a three-year, $100.5 million deal ($55 million guaranteed) with Darnold, who’s coming off the first Pro Bowl nod in his highly uneven seven-year career.

But the move does make for some compelling scrutiny, so let’s not waste any time casting the winners and losers of what’s likely to be the most consequential contract in 2025 among players signing deals with new teams:

WINNERS

Sam Darnold

The Seahawks become his fifth employer since the New York Jets traded up to make him the third overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft – but Seattle very much seems like his first bona fide opportunity to be the face of a franchise since the NYJ utterly failed to surround Darnold with even a below-average supporting cast. A three-year commitment is hardly a lifetime contract – especially as “commitments” go in this league – and certainly doesn’t preclude GM John Schneider from investing a high-end draft pick in a developmental quarterback now that he’s amassed five of the top 92 after agreeing to trade QB Geno Smith and WR DK Metcalf in recent days.

But this seems like something close to an optimal situation for Darnold, who reunites with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak after both spent 2023 with the San Francisco 49ers – Kubiak as the passing game coordinator and Darnold as Brock Purdy’s backup, though he had a busy offseason that year as Purdy recovered from elbow surgery. Seattle also isn’t a locale where Darnold will have to consistently affirm his value in front of a harsh media spotlight like New York’s, and he should enjoy a steadily bolstered supporting cast – like better blockers to safeguard his occasionally happy feet – given the way Schneider is stockpiling draft resources while paying well below top dollar for his new QB1.

J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings’ first-round pick in 2024 now has a clear pathway to the job that he might have nailed down last season had he not suffered a season-ending meniscus tear during what was an otherwise scintillating preseason debut in August. All indications are that McCarthy will be ready to take the reins this spring, even if the Vikes sign another Darnold-adjacent insurance plan like, say, Daniel Jones.

Mike Macdonald

The 37-year-old was the NFL’s youngest head coach in 2024 after the Seahawks hired him to replace Pete Carroll, the greatest to ever hold the post in the Pacific Northwest. But even while going 10-7 and missing the playoffs (and the NFC West crown) by virtue of being on the wrong side of the tiebreaker formula, it often seemed like Macdonald was coaching Carroll’s (and Schneider’s) team rather than his own.

But Darnold feels like the exclamation point of an overhaul that saw Smith, Metcalf, (probably) WR Tyler Lockett and several others get one-way tickets out of town as Macdonald and Schneider reimagine a flawed roster that had been geared toward the pass into something more in line with something Macdonald saw work when he was on the Baltimore Ravens’ staff – namely a heavy emphasis on defense and running the ball. And if Darnold spends more time handing off and nursing leads – and maybe throwing the ball closer to 25 times per game than even the 32 he averaged in Minnesota in 2024 – then no one here should be gassing up on Starbucks at midnight in a bid to keep this team on track in what’s shaping up as a rough-and-tumble NFC West.

LOSERS

Sam Darnold

Aside from a negligible decimal point, the biggest payday of his NFL career basically mirrors the three-year, $100 million one 2018 draftmate and former Carolina Panthers teammate Baker Mayfield extracted from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers … last year. The fact that Darnold didn’t elevate into the $40 million bracket of the QB pay scale – which seems eminently reasonable for a 27-year-old Pro Bowl passer theoretically entering his prime – is pretty indicative that the league was still pretty leery of a guy whose bad habits (read: ball security) undermined his obvious potential while with the underpowered Jets and Panthers … and, to a degree, in the Vikings’ pair of season-ending losses in 2024 following their highly unexpected 14-2 start with him in the saddle. Darnold got his bag Monday. But job security? Not so much.

Justin Jefferson

The man is an absolute football freak, so the “loser” label is completely relative to his new circumstances. But with McCarthy apparently about to settle in as the Vikings’ newest starter, “Jets” will be adapting to his third starting quarterback in three seasons after Darnold wound up replacing Kirk Cousins. Jefferson performed (again) at an All-Pro level in 2024, however his 90.2 receiving yards per game were his lowest output since his rookie season in 2020 – well off his production level with Cousins and occasionally leaving him visibly frustrated. That could easily recur in 2025 as Jefferson tries to find a groove with McCarthy in what will effectively be the rookie year for the Michigan product, who may also have to get acclimated to being the offensive centerpiece he never had to be during two years as the Wolverines’ starter.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

The emergent talent is not on Jefferson’s level but – again – the “loser” label is (also) completely relative to his new circumstances. Like Darnold, JSN broke though for his first Pro Bowl nod in 2024 after the first-rounder had a middling debut as a rookie in 2023. But given the way this offense already seems to be evolving – which is likely with a much heavier emphasis on the run under Kubiak as Metcalf and Lockett move on – Smith-Njigba, who tied the single-season Seahawks record in 2024 with 100 receptions, may see his production suffer as he faces more double teams and/or better cornerbacks at a time when he’s trying to establish chemistry and timing with Darnold.

Pittsburgh Steelers

For a minute, it appeared as if a team with one quarterback on its roster – Skylar Thompson – was positioning itself for something more than a stopgap solution behind center after agreeing to pay a second-rounder for Metcalf on Sunday night. But the Steelers didn’t get Darnold. They didn’t even manage to re-sign Justin Fields. So it’s either back to the draft drawing board, back to Metcalf’s buddy Russell Wilson, on to Aaron Rodgers … or some other alternative that doesn’t seem likely to fix the festering problem that’s relegated a regular playoff entry under Mike Tomlin as nothing more than a one-and-done non-contender for the better part of a decade.

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At noon ET on Monday, tampering became legal in the NFL.

Despite the class of free agents being perceived as weak by front offices across the league, it didn’t stop a spending spree from teams itching to remake their rosters. For the first time in a long time, rumors were put to bed as the cash was flowing all day long.

With the market now ready to rest for the night, the frenzy will only continue on Tuesday.

Monday saw plenty of the big names come off the board. Quarterbacks like Sam Darnold and Justin Fields found their home for 2025 while other top players on defense like Josh Sweat and Milton Williams agreed to terms with their new squads.

The Washington Commanders also continued in win-now mode, swinging a deal for the Texans’ star left tackle, Laremy Tunsil. Trades, signings and more will keep making headlines as we inch closer to the start of the new NFL league year, when everything finally becomes official.

In other words, buckle up because anything can happen.

USA TODAY Sports will provide the latest rumors, updates, news and more from the NFL’s legal tampering period, ahead of NFL free agency on Wednesday. All times are Eastern.

NFL free agency signings, news, rumors

Jets to sign Andre Cisco

Date: March 10
Source:ESPN’s Adam Schefter

The Jets are adding more to their secondary, this time agreeing to a one-year deal worth $10 million with Cisco. New York came into free agency with a need at safety and now Aaron Glenn has one piece to solving his latest defensive puzzle.

Vikings re-sign Byron Murphy Jr.

Date: March 10
Source:Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings are keeping one of their own, singing the cornerback to a three-year, $66 million deal. Murphy is coming off his best season as a pro and now cashed in.

Najee Harris to sign with Chargers

Date: March 10
Source:ESPN’s Adam Schefter

The Chargers got the deal done, finding their new running back in Harris on a one-year deal worth up to $9.5 million.

Lions re-sign OL Dan Skipper

Date: March 10
Source:ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler

Made famous for not reporting eligible on a two-point play against the Dallas Cowboys in 2023, Skipper became a beloved figure in Detroit. Whether he did report remains something up for debate and likely driven by fandom, but Detroit will be keeping one of their own on the offensive line.

Saints re-sign Chase Young

Date: March 10
Source:ESPN’s Adam Schefter

Young has found himself a home in the NFL, re-signing with the Saints on a three-year deal worth $51 million. He’s previously bounced around since being the second overall pick in 2020. He totaled 5.5 sacks for the Saints last year, but is still just 25 years old.

49ers to release FB Kyle Juszczyk

Date: March 10
Source:ESPN’s Adam Schefter

One of the last remaining fullbacks in the NFL, Juszczyk has been a key piece in San Francisco’s offense for years. The 33-year-old has spent eight seasons with the 49ers after debuting with the Baltimore Ravens for the first four. Now 12 years into his NFL career, Juszczyk will be looking for a new team, but isn’t ready to hang up the cleats just yet.

Giants add to their OL depth, sign James Hudson III

Date: March 10
Source:NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo

The Giants are no strangers to poor play from their offensive line, especially as injuries have taken their toll in recent years. In an effort to avoid that this upcoming season, New York inked the tackle to a two-year deal worth $12 million.

Bengals expected to re-sign DE Joseph Ossai

Date: March 10
Source:NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

A third-round pick in 2021, the 24-year-old is expected to remain with the Bengals on a one-year deal worth $7 million. He recorded five sacks in 17 games for Cincinnati last season.

Colts re-sign Ashton Dulin

Date: March 10
Source:NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

Indianapolis is shoring up their receiver depth, re-signing Dulin to a two-year deal worth up to $8.5 million.

Chargers pursuing Najee Harris, hope to close deal

Date: March 10
Source:NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

Harris’ days in Pittsburgh appear to be numbered and the running back could be heading west to join the Chargers. Nothing is finalized at this point, but Los Angeles hopes to close the deal and add the durable Harris to the backfield.

Dre Greenlaw signing with Broncos on three-year deal

Date: March 10
Source:NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The Broncos continue to poach from the San Francisco 49ers’ defense in free agency, this time with a $35 million deal for the longtime starting linebacker. Greenlaw spent the last six years in San Francisco but missed most of last season after a torn Achilles suffered in Super Bowl 58.

One of Denver’s starting linebackers from last year, Cody Barton, signed with Tennessee. The Broncos fill his spot by signing Greenlaw ahead of his age-28 season.

Darius Slayton staying with Giants on three-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The Giants are keeping some wide receiver depth around, re-signing wideout Darius Slayton to a three-year, $36 million deal. Slayton should be a viable pass-catching option for whoever is starting for the Giants in 2025.

Vikings to sign former Colts center Ryan Kelly

Date: March 10
Source:ESPN’s Adam Schefter

Now that they don’t have to pay Sam Darnold, the Vikings are using that additional cash to spend on bolstering their offensive line. They are set to bring in Kelly to center to line in Minnesota.

Tershawn Wharton to sign with Panthers

Date: March 10
Source:ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler

The Panthers have been chasing a defensive tackle addition all day long and finally land one, inking Wharton to a three-year deal worth $54 million.

Teair Tart and the Chargers agree to one-year deal

Date: March 10
Source:ESPN’s Adam Schefter

The Chargers continue adding to their defensive line, this time re-signing Tart to a one-year deal worth $5.5 million.

Dolphins to sign former Jets and Broncos QB Zach Wilson

Date: March 10
Source:ESPN’s Adam Schefter

After departing the Jets prior to last season, Wilson primarily played the third-string role for the Broncos in 2024. He now returns to the AFC East on a one-year deal with the Dolphins worth $6 million, fully guaranteed. The deal can be worth as much as $10 million, per reports. Wilson figures to slide in as Tua Tagovailoa’s backup for the time being, which puts him on the doorstep of returning to a starting gig.

Rams to release Cooper Kupp if no trade materializes

Date: March 10
Source:ESPN’s Adam Schefter

After the Rams signed Davante Adams, any last glimmer of hope for Kupp remaining in Hollywood seemed to fade. The team previously informed Kupp they would be moving on, but he will now be released if they can’t swing a trade prior to the league’s new year getting underway on Wednesday afternoon.

Browns, Eagles swing deal for Kenny Pickett

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

The Browns are adding and subtracting from their QB room: In a deal with the Eagles, they’re sending quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round pick to Philadelphia for former first-round pick Kenny Pickett. Pickett spent just a season with the Eagles as the backup to Jalen Hurts.

Titans ink linebacker Cody Barton to three-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The Tennessee Titans are shoring up the middle of their defense, signing former Broncos linebacker Cody Barton to a three-year deal, per reports. Barton started 14 games for the Broncos and secured 106 tackles in 2024.

Bradley Bozeman staying in Los Angeles

Date: March 10
Source:Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers and center Bradley Bozeman are staying together. Bozeman signed a contract extension to keep him in LA and in front of quarterback Justin Herbert, the team announced.

Charvarius Ward heads to Colts

Date: March 10
Source:USA TODAY’s Tyler Dragon

The defensive back is making his way to the Indianapolis Colts, as confirmed by USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon. Ward is heading to Indianapolis on a three-year deal worth up to $60 million total.

Panthers keep adding to DL, agree to deal with Bobby Brown III

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

Carolina is continuing to remodel their defensive line, this time bringing Brown in from the Rams. A fourth-round pick in 2021, the 24-year-old appeared in all 17 games for the Rams last season. He checks in with a three-year deal worth $21 million.

Raiders re-sign Malcolm Koonce

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The 26-year-old Koonce broke out in 2023 with eight sacks before missing the 2024 season with a knee injury. A one-year deal worth $12 million profiles as somewhat of a prove-it year for Koonce, who figures to play opposite Maxx Crosby after the edge rusher just received a big payday.

Packers to sign former Raiders CB Nate Hobbs

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero

As Jaire Alexander’s future with the Packers hangs in the balance, Green Bay is adding to their secondary by agreeing to terms with Hobbs. It’s a four-year, $48 million deal for the former Raider, who figures to play a slot cornerback role for the Cheeseheads.

Jaguars continue building OL by agreeing to terms with Robert Hainsey

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The Jaguars haven’t been shy in adding to the offensive line today and now secure a familiar face for head coach Liam Coen. A third-round pick in 2021, the 26-year-old Hainsey now likely gets his chance to step into a starting role and serve as a key piece as Coen’s implements a new offense in Jacksonville.

Jets to sign former Ravens CB Brandon Stephens

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo

After making their big splash by agreeing to terms with Justin Fields earlier, the Jets are now adding to the secondary by bringing Stephens on board. It fills a spot that opened on the defense after D.J. Reed departed for Detroit at the start of free agency. Aaron Glenn gets a piece in Stephens for his new squad for the price of a three-year deal worth $36 million.

Chargers to sign CB Donte Jackson

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

In an effort to continue building their defense, the Chargers have added Jackson in free agency. A second-round pick in 2018, Jackson played for the Steelers in 2024 after spending six seasons in Carolina. He finished with a career-high five interceptions with Pittsburgh and will now bring a veteran presence to the Chargers’ secondary.

Panthers agree to terms with former Vikings DE Patrick Jones II

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

The Panthers are bringing in some help along the defensive line, agreeing to terms with Jones. He had seven sacks for Minnesota last season and will now join a front that was in need of some reinforcements in Carolina.

Raiders sign former Commanders S Jeremy Chinn

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo

While the Commanders continue to acquire talent, they are bidding farewell to some as well. Chinn heads west to Las Vegas to join the Raiders, inking a two-year, for around $16 million in the desert.

49ers re-sign RB Patrick Taylor Jr.

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

The 49ers are locking in some more running back depth in free agency, bringing Taylor back into the fold. Injuries decimated the San Francisco backfield last year and Kyle Shanahan is always in need of more running backs. Taylor has familiarity with the offense, making him a natural fit to return.

Texans trade LT Laremy Tunsil to Commanders for draft picks

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The Commanders are making a big splash on the trade market. They acquired veteran left tackle Laremy Tunsil and an unspecified fourth-round pick from the Texans in exchange for 2026 second- and fourth-round picks, and a 2025 third-round pick. The Texans will also acquire a fourth-round pick in the trade.

Tunsil, 30, has started 125 games during his NFL career. He will go from blocking for one talented No. 2 overall pick (C.J. Stroud) to another (Jayden Daniels).

Bengals sign former Packers DL TJ Slaton to two-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero

Slaton has started 34 games over the last two seasons for the Packers, logging 80 tackles and one sack across those contests. The Bengals gave him a two-year deal worth up to $15.1 million to serve as a quality run-stopper for their team.

Giants signing DL Roy Robertson-Harris to two-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo

The Giants continue to add to their defense. They are inking Robertson-Harris to a deal worth up to $10 million over two years following his release from the Seahawks.

Robertson-Harris had 20 tackles and two sacks across 17 games with the Seahawks and Jaguars last season.

Packers sign offensive guard Aaron Banks to four-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The 49ers already lost backup offensive tackle Jaylon Moore in free agency earlier in the day. Now, they are losing Banks, their starting left guard, after the Packers signed him to a four-year deal worth up to $77 million.

Banks appeared in 53 games with 43 starts after being a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He graded as Pro Football Focus’ 33rd best guard in 2024 among 77 qualified players.

Titans re-sign Sebastian Joseph-Day to one-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

Joseph-Day had 44 tackles and 2.5 sacks in his first season with the Titans. Tennessee thought enough of him to bring him back on a one-year deal worth up to $7.5 million.

Grady Jarrett to ink big-money deal with Bears after Falcons release

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

Jarrett didn’t take long to find a new home. He is joining the Bears on a three-year, $43.5 million deal as Chicago continues to bolster the trenches.

Jarrett had 53 tackles and 2.5 sacks for the Falcons in 2024, his 10th season with the team.

Jaguars sign former Ravens OL Patrick Mekari

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

Mekari was a versatile lineman over his six seasons with the Ravens, playing all over Baltimore’s defensive line before settling in as a starter at left guard in 2024. The Jaguars could look to slot him in at center as they look to replace Mitch Morse following the veteran’s retirement.

Jaguars sign TE Hunter Long to two-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo

The Jaguars lost Farrell in free agency but are adding a replacement in Long. The former third-round pick of the Miami Dolphins had a career-high seven catches for 60 yards with the Rams in 2024.

Long can make up to $6 million over his two-year deal in Jacksonville. New Jaguars general manager James Gladstone worked in the Rams’ front office so he is familiar with Long’s skill set.

49ers signing former Jaguars TE Luke Farrell

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The 49ers are adding a new tight end to the fold. They agreed to a three-year, $20.25 million deal with Farrell. The contract contains $11 million in guarantees.

Farrell is a strong blocker but had just 12 catches for 67 yards in 2024.

CB Darius Slay signing with Steelers

Date: March 10
Source: Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz

Slay won’t be leaving the state of Pennsylvania after being released by the Eagles. He will be joining forces with the Steelers to provide the team with a strong complement to Joey Porter Jr. on the outside.

Cardinals sign Eagles edge rusher Josh Sweat to big-money deal

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

Jonathan Gannon is reuniting with Sweat, who he coached in Philadelphia before becoming Arizona’s head coach in 2023. Sweat led the Eagles with eight sacks in 2024 and notched 2.5 sacks against Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl 59.

Sweat will make $76.4 million over four years with $41 million guaranteed.

Former 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga to sign with Broncos

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

The Broncos are adding a playmaking safety to their back end, as they agreed to a three-year deal worth up to $45 million with Hufanga. The contract contains $20 million guaranteed at signing.

Hufanga played just 17 combined games over the last two seasons due to injury but was an All-Pro first teamer in 2022. The USC product has seven career interceptions in 49 games (37 starts).

Jaguars sign WR Dyami Brown to one-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo

Brown broke out toward the end of his fourth season with the Commanders. The 2021 third-round pick had 14 catches for 229 yards and a touchdown during Washington’s postseason run, earning him a deal worth up to $12 million over one year from the Jaguars.

Bears to sign former Colts edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The Bears needed to add more talent on their defensive line. That’s why they’re signing Odeyingbo to a deal worth $16 million annually with $32 million in guarantees.

Odeyingbo had 16 sacks over his last three seasons with the Colts. He was a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft out of Vanderbilt.

Cam Bynum to ink four-year deal with Colts

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero

Bynum blossomed into a quality starter for the Vikings after being a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He will now be joining the Colts to provide new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo with a playmaker in the secondary.

Bynum made 96 tackles and had a career-high three interceptions and 10 pass defenses in 2024.

Justin Fields signs two-year deal with Jets

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

Fields ended up playing just one season for the Steelers. He joined the Jets on a two-year deal worth up to $40 million. The deal comes with $30 million in guarantees.

Fields started six games for the Steelers last season, posting a 4-2 record while completing 65.8% of his passes for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for 289 yards and five touchdowns on 62 carries and will bring his dual-threat ability to New York.

Seahawks to sign Sam Darnold to three-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

Darnold is set to sign a three-year deal with the Seahawks worth up to $100.5 million. The contract will come with $55 million in guarantees.

Darnold, 28 in June, completed 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions during the 2024 season with the Vikings. He will replace Geno Smith, who was traded to the Raiders on the eve of free agency for a third-round pick.

Steelers release veteran DT Larry Ogunjobi

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The Steelers opened up $7 million in cap space by releasing Ogunjobi ahead of the final year of his contract. Ogunjobi had 41 tackles and 1.5 sacks for the Steelers while starting 12 games in 2025.

Panthers agree to three-year deal with S Tre’von Moehrig

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero

The Panthers missed out on Milton Williams and pivoted to another defensive playmaker. They are giving a three-year deal to former Raiders safety Tre’von Moehrig, who will make as much as $60 million and a base value of $51 million on a three-year deal.

Moehrig had 108 tackles and two interceptions for the Raiders last season. He had 297 tackles, three sacks and six interceptions in 66 games (64 starts) over four seasons with Las Vegas.

Patriots signing DT Milton Williams to lucrative contract

Date: March 10
Source: USA TODAY’s Tyler Dragon

Williams was rumored to be joining the Panthers earlier in the day. Instead, he will be signing with the Patriots on a deal that will pay him $26 million in average annual value.

Williams had 24 tackles and five sacks in 17 games for the Eagles last season. He played 47.85% of the snaps for Philadelphia but may have a larger role in Mike Vrabel and Terrell Williams’ defense.

CB DJ Reed signing with Lions

Date: March 10
Source: DJ Reed

Reed posted to X (formerly Twitter) to let fans know he was joining the Lions after spending the last three seasons with the Jets.

Reed had 64 tackles and 11 pass defenses for the Jets in 2024. The 5-9, 188-pound cornerback will join forces with Terrion Arnold and Amik Robertson in Detroit’s secondary.

CB Isaiah Rodgers joining Vikings on two-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

Rodgers spent the 2024 season with the Eagles after missing the 2023 season because of a gambling suspension. He generated 26 tackles and four pass defenses as a backup on Philadelphia’s loaded defense.

Rodgers will now join forces with Brian Flores in Minnesota on a two-year deal worth up to $15 million.

Texans sign Tremon Smith, make him highest-paid core special teamer

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero

The Texans are bringing back Smith, who played for the Texans in 2021 and 2022 before playing the last two seasons with the Broncos. Smith agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $7.5 million to return to Houston.

Patriots sign veteran OT Morgan Moses to three-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo

The Patriots started Demontrey Jacobs at right tackle for most of the 2024 NFL season. He graded last among 81 qualified tackles for the season, per Pro Football Focus. Moses will provide the Patriots with an upgrade and comes on a relatively cheap $28.5 million deal over three seasons.

Moses, 34, has played 166 career games with 158 starts while almost exclusively playing at right tackle.

Panthers ‘working to finalize deal’ with Eagles DT Milton Williams

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

The Panthers spent big on defense ahead of free agency, signing cornerback Jaycee Horn to a $100 million deal. They may further bolster their defense by signing Williams, who starred as an interior pass rusher for the Eagles en route to Super Bowl 59.

Williams had 24 tackles and five sacks with the Eagles. He played as a rotational pass rusher on Philadelphia’s stacked defense but should have a bigger role in Carolina.

CB Carlton Davis inks three-year deal with Patriots

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero

The Patriots continue to be active in free agency, adding Davis on a three-year deal with the Patriots worth up to $60 million. The deal comes with $34.5 million in guarantees.

Davis logged 56 tackles, two interceptions and 11 pass defenses in 13 games with the Lions last season before a broken jaw ended his season.

Titans agree to terms with OT Dan Moore Jr.

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The Titans are plugging one of their biggest holes by signing an offensive tackle. They agreed to terms on a four-year, $82 million deal with former Steelers left tackle Dan Moore, a contract that comes with $50 million guaranteed, $30 million of which will be in the first season.

Moore made 66 starts in his four seasons with the Steelers and graded as Pro Football Focus’ 42nd tackle among 81 qualified players for 2024. The Titans will presumably start him on the left side with 2024 first-round pick J.C. Latham kicking over to right tackle.

Giants sign CB Paulson Adebo from Saints

Date: March 10
Source: CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones

The Giants are adding a top cornerback to the fold. Adebo logged 52 tackles and three interceptions in just seven games for the Saints last season before suffering a broken leg. He has 10 interceptions and 43 pass defenses in 52 career games.

QB Jimmy Garoppolo re-signs with Rams on one-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo

Garoppolo spent the 2024 season backing up Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles. He is returning to the team in the same role for the 2025 season after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Rams.

Garoppolo lost his only start last season but completed a respectable 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in limited playing time.

Former Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis signing with Jaguars

Date: March 10
Source: USA TODAY’s Tyler Dragon

Lewis spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Cowboys before inking a free-agent pact with the Jaguars. Lewis had 71 tackles, one interception and eight pass defenses in 16 games (13 starts) last season.

Patriots sign LB Robert Spillane to three-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The Patriots continue to revamp their defense, adding Spillane to the fold. The 29-year-old had a career-high 158 tackles with the Raiders last season and generated two interceptions and two sacks.

Spillane’s deal will pay him $37 million over three years.

DT Javon Kinlaw gets big-money deal with Washington Commanders

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

Adam Peters is reuniting with Kinlaw, as both were with the 49ers when San Francisco selected Kinlaw in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. He will get $45 million over three years with $30 million guaranteed as part of the deal.

Kinlaw set career-best marks in tackles (40) and sacks (4.5) with the Jets last season.

WR Braxton Berrios signs one-year deal with Texans

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The Texans already added one receiver ahead of free agency in Christian Kirk. They also added Berrios on a one-year deal worth up to $2 million.

Berrios didn’t log a catch on four targets for the Dolphins last year. He played just six games.

BJ Hill returns to Bengals on three-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The Bengals inked Hill to a three-year deal worth up to $33 million with $16 million in guarantees. He had 56 tackles and three sacks for Cincinnati last season and has averaged four sacks per year across four seasons with the Bengals.

Bears make Drew Dalman second-highest-paid center in NFL

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

The Bears gave Dalman $42 million over three years with $28 million guaranteed to lock down their center spot. It marks the third major offensive line move by Chicago this offseason, as the Bears already traded for two guards – Jonah Jackson and All-Pro Joe Thuney – to revamp their offensive line.

Caleb Williams was sacked a league-high 68 times as a rookie, so new coach Ben Johnson is clearly hoping investing in the offensive line will help the 2024 No. 1 pick improve behind better protection.

Chiefs signing OT Jaylon Moore to two-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: USA TODAY’s Tyler Dragon

Moore inked a two-year deal worth up to $30 million to serve as the Chiefs’ left tackle in 2025. Moore appeared in 55 games during his four seasons with the 49ers making 12 starts, including a career-high five in 2024. The 27-year-old allowed just one sack and committed no penalties in 271 snaps last season.

Buccaneers re-sign WR Chris Godwin to three-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The Buccaneers aren’t just adding Reddick to the fold. They’re also bringing back Godwin, who has developed into a star receiver for the team after being a third-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft.

Godwin, 29, had 50 catches for 576 yards and five touchdowns in seven games last season before suffering a dislocated ankle.

Haason Reddick agrees to one-year deal with Buccaneers

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The Buccaneers needed to upgrade their pass rush ahead of the 2025 NFL season. They did so by signing Reddick to a one-year deal worth up to $14 million ($12 million guaranteed).

Reddick had just one sack in 10 games for the Jets last season. He posted at least 11 sacks in four consecutive seasons before that but started slowly in 2024 after missing the early stages of the season while holding out for a new contract.

X (formerly Twitter) down as NFL free agency arrives

Date: March 10

NFL insiders and news-breakers have tended to use X as a way to break news of free agent signings, rumors and trades throughout the website’s history. However, the social media site has been experiencing outages throughout Monday, most recently presenting with a ‘host error’ message on its pages.

As a result, news of the marquee NFL event is being broken on TV channels and alternate social media platforms like BlueSky, as well as news media websites.

Jonathan Allen visiting Vikings on Monday

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Adam Schefter

Allen was released by the Commanders ahead of free agency. The two-time Pro Bowler is set to visit the Vikings on Monday. He overlapped with Kevin O’Connell for three years when Minnesota’s head coach was in Washington.

The Vikings are set to have two starting interior defensive linemen, Jonathan Bullard and Jerry Tillery, be free agents, so Allen could replace one of them should he sign in Minnesota.

Evan Brown re-signs with Cardinals on a two-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network

The Cardinals inked Brown to a deal worth $11.5 million over two years. Brown, 28, started all 17 games last season and finished the campaign as Pro Football Focus’ 30th-ranked guard among 77 qualifiers. He allowed just two penalties and two sacks while playing 1,070 snaps, all at left guard.

OT Braden Smith restructures contract, will remain with Colts

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler

Smith was set to have a $19.75 million cap hit in the final year of a four-year, $72 million deal he signed with the Colts in 2021. The two parties reworked that deal, presumably to lower his cap hit for 2025 and allow Indianapolis to keep its starting right tackle.

Smith has appeared in 94 games (92 starts) and graded as Pro Football Focus’ 44th tackle among 81 qualifiers in 2024.

Ben Bredeson re-signs with Buccaneers ahead of NFL free-agency

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Sara Walsh

Offensive lineman Ben Bredeson was set to become an unrestricted free agent but has reached a three-year, $22 million deal to stay with Tampa Bay. He will make $12 million in guarantees.

Khalil Mack re-signs with Chargers ahead of free agency

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

Mack was set to be a free agent in 2025. The 34-year-old avoided hitting the open market by agreeing to a one-year deal with the Chargers worth $18 million. The contract is fully guaranteed.

Steelers place second-round tender on RB Jaylen Warren

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero

Steelers running back Najee Harris is set to be an unrestricted free agent, but Warren appears to be staying in Pittsburgh. The Steelers placed a second-round tender on the former undrafted free agent. It will be worth $5.346 million and if another team signs Warren to an offer sheet, the Steelers would recoup a second-round selection if he leaves.

Panthers make Jaycee Horn highest-paid DB in NFL history

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport

The Panthers agreed to a four-year, $100 million extension with star cornerback Jaycee Horn. He will make $70 million in guarantees as part of the contract and will have an average annual value of $25 million.

Horn had 68 tackles and two sacks in 15 games last season, all career-best marks. He also had one interception and allowed a passer rating of 91.4.

Falcons to release two-time Pro Bowl DT Grady Jarrett

Date: March 10
Source: NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport

The Falcons are releasing Jarrett after 10 years in Atlanta. He made two Pro Bowls and racked up 36.5 sacks in 152 contests (137 starts) with the Falcons after being a fifth-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft out of Clemson.

Jarrett, 32 in April, had 53 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 17 games last season.

Steelers, Giants, Vikings listed as Aaron Rodgers landing spots

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

Schefter appeared on ESPN’s ‘Get Up’ Monday morning to provide some updates ahead of free agency. He noted Rodgers’ top options in free agency ‘seem to be’ the Giants and Steelers.

Schefter also reported that Rodgers joining the Vikings was ‘not likely, but not out of the question.’ Minnesota’s interest in Rodgers will depend on whether they can re-sign Sam Darnold, who has been tied to the Seattle Seahawks, or Daniel Jones, in whom the Indianapolis Colts are interested, to serve as veteran depth alongside J.J. McCarthy.

TE Evan Engram visiting Broncos after Jaguars release

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

The Jaguars released Engram after three seasons with the team. He is already drawing interest in the free-agent market and is set to visit Denver on Monday.

Engram had 47 catches for 365 yards and a touchdown in nine games during the 2024 season. He had 114 catches for 963 yards and four touchdowns the previous season.

No Broncos tight end had more than 19 catches (Lucas Krull) in 2024.

Broncos re-signing DT D.J. Jones to three-year deal

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

Jones was set to hit free agency in 2025. The Broncos agreed to a three-year, $39 million deal with $26 million in guarantees just before the tampering period opened to keep the veteran on Vance Joseph’s defense.

Jones, 30, had 42 tackles and one sack for the Broncos last season.

Justin Fields waiting to speak to Jets before making decision

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

Fields has reportedly been in discussions with the Steelers about re-joining the team in 2025, but the 26-year-old is waiting to see what the Jets offer him before making a decision.

New York’s offer can’t officially come until the legal tampering window opens at Noon ET on Monday, so that will likely leave Pittsburgh’s quarterback situation in flux until then.

Aaron Rodgers ’emerging as QB option’ for Steelers

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

The Steelers have largely been connected to their free-agent starting quarterbacks from last year, Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, ahead of free agency. However, Pittsburgh is ‘are expected to talk and explore a union’ with Rodgers, who is one of the top quarterbacks available on the market.

Rodgers, 41, is coming off a down season but still completed 63% of his passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for the New York Jets. Mike Tomlin and the Steelers may view the veteran as the best candidate to get a lot out of their offense, which now features wide receiver DK Metcalf as one of its top receivers.

Patriots trade DT Davon Godchaux to Saints for 2026 draft pick

Date: March 10
Source: ESPN’s Adam Schefter

The Patriots gave Godchaux, a run-stuffing defensive tackle who spent four seasons with the team, permission to explore a trade this offseason. They found a willing partner in the Saints, who surrendered a 2026 seventh-round pick for the 30-year-old veteran.

Godchaux had 67 tackles in 2024. He hasn’t posted a sack since the 2022 NFL season.

Falcons sign Jake Matthews to two-year extension

Date: March 9
Source: NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo

Matthews has been Atlanta’s starting left tackle since the team selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft. The Falcons gave him a two-year, $45 million extension with $38 million in guarantees to keep him on board as a key cog in lefty Michael Penix’s protection.

Matthews has made 179 starts in his career and hasn’t missed a game since his rookie season. He has made 178 consecutive regular-season starts.

Steelers acquire WR DK Metcalf in trade with Seahawks

Date: March 9
Source: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero

Metcalf demanded a trade away from the Seahawks the same day Seattle released veteran receiver Tyler Lockett. It didn’t take long for the Seahawks to find him a new home, as they shipped Metcalf to the Steelers for a second-round pick and a swap of sixth- and seventh-round selections.

Metcalf signed a five-year, $150 million extension as part of the trade. The 27-year-old had 66 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games last season.

Josh Allen signs record-breaking $330 million deal with Bills

Date: March 9
Source: USA TODAY’s Tyler Dragon

Allen won the NFL’s MVP award for 2024 after leading Buffalo to a 13-4 record and making it to the AFC championship game. The Bills handsomely rewarded him with a six-year contract extension that runs through the 2030 NFL season.

Allen’s new deal will be worth up to $330 million, giving the contract an average annual value of $55 million. The deal comes with a record-breaking $250 million in guarantees.

Patriots ink three-year deal with edge rusher Harold Landry

Date: March 9
Source: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero

The Patriots needed to upgrade their pass rush during the 2025 offseason and landed Landry, who played at Boston College and will reunite with Mike Vrabel, who coached him for five years with the Titans. Landry can make up to $48 million with $26 million guaranteed as part of his three-year deal.

Landry, 29 in June, had 71 tackles and nine sacks for the Titans last season. He has 50.5 career sacks in 98 games (79 starts) and graded as Pro Football Focus’ seventh-best edge defender against the run among 212 players last season.

Rams sign Davante Adams to two-year contract

Date: March 9
Source: Los Angeles Rams

Adams wanted to head west after being released by the Jets. He got his wish, as he joined the Rams on what ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports is a two-year deal worth up to $46 million.

Adams had 85 catches for 1,063 yard sand eight touchdowns in 14 games split between the Raiders and Jets last season. The 32-year-old will be tasked with complimenting Puka Nacua as a No. 2 receiver and helping to replace Cooper Kupp, who is expected to be released or traded during the offseason.

NFL free agency: Best available players

Here are some of the best available players who will hit the market this week, per USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon:

Jevon Holland, S
Chris Godwin, WR
D.J. Reed, CB
Stefon Diggs, WR
Khalil Mack, edge
Amari Cooper, WR
Sam Darnold, QB
Josh Sweat, edge
Haason Reddick, edge
Justin Reid, S

Quarterback, offensive tackle, edge rusher — these are the positions that Power Four programs are willing to pay top dollar to acquire in the transfer portal.

A list of this season’s most important transfers is dotted with these three position groups, beginning with Oregon left tackle Isaiah World, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer and Missouri edge rusher Damon Wilson II.

Spring football provides the first glimpse at these high-profile newcomers in their new colors. Based on these past few years and how the portal has come to define roster management in the Bowl Subdivision, transfers will compete for All-America status, contend for the Heisman Trophy and shape the 2025 season.

World, Mateer and Wilson top our list of the transfers set for the biggest impact this season:

1. OT Isaiah World, Oregon (Nevada)

The 6-foot-8, 300-pound senior is an upper-level NFL prospect at a premium position. Across three seasons at Nevada, World developed into an elite pass protector who should flourish in Oregon’s explosively physical scheme. The Ducks added another top transfer to the offensive line in former Southern California left guard Emmanuel Pregnon, a second-team all-conference pick who started his college career at Wyoming.

SPRING POWER RANKINGS: Big Ten | SEC | ACC | Big 12

LOOKING AHEAD: Our way-too-early college football Top 25 for 2025

2. QB John Mateer, Oklahoma (Washington State)

No single transfer may have a bigger impact on the College Football Playoff race — if you believe in Oklahoma’s defense. Mateer could transform the Sooners’ middling offense along with his former coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who was hired in early December, and turn the Sooners into a legitimate contender in the SEC. Last season, the junior threw for 3,139 yards, ran for 826 yards on 4.6 yards per carry and had 44 combined scores.

3. EDGE Damon Wilson II, Missouri (Georgia)

Wilson saw his role expand last season, his second with the Bulldogs, and the former five-star recruit flashed his deep potential with 22 tackles, six for loss, along with three sacks and a pair of forced fumbles and recoveries. The junior chose Missouri over Ohio State and will slot right into a starting job opposite returning starter Zion Young.

4. DB Dillon Thieneman, Oregon (Purdue)

Buried amid Purdue’s miserable run at the bottom of the Big Ten, Thieneman has played at an All-America level as one of the league’s top defensive backs. The junior had six interceptions as a freshman in 2023 and led the Boilermakers in tackles in each of his two seasons with the program. With two more years of eligibility, Thieneman is expected to solidify the back end of the Ducks’ defense thanks to his ability to play in the box and defend in space.

5. EDGE Patrick Payton, LSU (Florida State)

Payton is a safe and steady addition at edge rusher after putting up solid numbers across three years with the Seminoles, including a team-high 11 tackles for loss and four sacks in 2024. The senior will have more one-on-one opportunities given the talent on the Tigers’ defensive front, including the return of edge rusher Harold Perkins from an ACL tear.

6. WR Eric Singleton Jr., Auburn (Georgia Tech)

Singleton is one transfer capable of transforming Auburn’s offense, along with former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold. Georgia Tech’s leading receiver in each of the past two seasons, Singleton will join sophomore Cam Coleman to give the Tigers a very strong one-two punch to spark the passing game.

7. QB Carson Beck, Miami (Georgia)

Beck is still working his way back from the elbow injury suffered against Texas in last year’s SEC championship game and may not begin full team activities until the summer. Should he make a full recovery, the senior will step into Cam Ward’s shoes and make Miami one of the favorites in the ACC. But even then, Beck will need to button up the turnovers that came to define his final year in Athens.

8. OT Howard Sampson, Texas Tech (North Carolina)

Sampson is a bit of a developmental prospect after starting just one season at UNC, though his arc in 2024 speaks to the junior’s immense potential. With both tackle spots available, look for Sampson to compete with Miami (Ohio) transfer Will Jados at left tackle, with the loser potentially shifting to the right side. Jados was a three-year starter in the MAC and one of the most experienced offensive linemen in the FBS.

9. WR Zachariah Branch, Georgia (Southern California)

Branch will definitely help the Bulldogs at receiver after pulling down 47 grabs for 503 yards in 2024. He’s part of a major offseason influx of talent at the position, including Texas A&M transfer Noah Thomas and four touted incoming freshmen. But where Branch could make his biggest impact is in the return game. The junior was an All-America pick in 2023 after averaging 22.1 yards per punt return with two combined return touchdowns. Last year, the Bulldogs ranked 67th in punt returns and 124th in kickoff returns.

10. WR Dane Key, Nebraska (Kentucky)

Key is a reliable, high-value target who put up strong numbers across three seasons in the SEC despite Kentucky’s often middling quarterback play and will help Nebraska sophomore Dylan Raiola develop into one of the top passers in the Big Ten. He had 47 catches for 715 yards as a junior, accounting for more than a quarter of the Wildcats’ total receptions and nearly a third of the team’s total receiving yardage. Playing with the Cornhuskers reunites Key with former Kentucky receivers coach Dakiel Shorts.