2025 NFL Free Agency Rumors: Darnold, Russell Wilson, & More
The new league year and free agency period is quickly approaching, set ot begin on March 12 at 4 p.m. ET. And, of course, the 2025 free agency rumor mill is buzzing with something new every day.
Some players like Rams QB Matthew Stafford and Bills WR Khalil Shakir have already agreed to terms with their current teams, while some players are waiting for the opportunity to go to new teams when free agency begins.
Free agency is always an exciting time for the NFL with a lot of news and rumors floating around that may or may not happen. You can find all of the top 2025 NFL free agents right here.
Here are some of the most substantiated rumors buzzing around the league so far, as we get closer to the NFL Free Agency period. Don’t forget to head to PrizePicks to lock in your season-long fantasy football Lineups on dozens of players and available stat types — like yards and touchdowns — and win real money on your 2025 NFL takes.
Tee Higgins Staying With the Bengals?
Tee Higgins is widely No. 1 free agent this offseason, per PFF. He’s been linked to multiple teams in the past few weeks, mainly the Patriots, but he may not be leaving Cincinnati at all.
The Bengals receiver has been with the team since he got drafted in 2020, and the Bengals don’t seem to want that to change, after he was franchise tagged by them last year. It is rumored they will franchise tag Higgins if the parties can’t come to an agreement by March 4.
The Patriots were expected to pursue Higgins, as a team who needs a major boost to the receiver room to support QB Drake Maye, and has the most cap space in the NFL. But with the Patriots hiring Mike Vrabel as head coach and the NFL Combine starting, it seems their attention has shifted from Higgins and they’ll no longer be considering him as an option.
If the Bengals franchise tag Higgins, it will prevent him from testing the free agency market and keep him in Cincinnati for at least one more season.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow has already stated he wants Higgins on the team and is even willing to restructure his own contract to make that happen.
Whether he gets a new contract or not, the chances of Higgins leaving Cincinnati this offseason seem very slim, but we’ll have to wait until March 4 to find out.
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Pass Rusher Khalil Mack Will Test the Market
Khalil Mack has never been a free agent in his career and will be for the first time in March.
He’s 33 years old, but he is coming off a six-sack season with the Chargers, and had 17 sacks in the season before that. Mack is still considered a top pass rusher in the league, and the free agency market will show that, should he choose to test it.
Chargers GM Joe Hortiz says he expects Mack to test the free agency market, simply because he never has, and now has the freedom to.
Mack should take the opportunity to hear other teams out and determine his value as a 33-year-old pass rusher. The Chargers have plenty of cap space to pay Mack and have expressed interest in doing so.
He’ll likely be a Charger next season and finish his career there, but not before testing the free agency market first.
QB Sam Darnold Set to Get Paid
The Vikings have some tough decisions to make this offseason regarding their quarterback room.
Sam Darnold played exceptionally well for the Vikings on his one-year deal, helping lead the team to the Wild Card round of the playoffs. But the Vikings drafted QB J.J. McCarthy with the tenth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, leaving the Vikings with a tough decision.
Darnold had one of the best seasons of his career; and because of that, if the Vikings want to keep him, they’ll have to pay him a lot. However, he completely broke down in Week 18 against the Lions, competing for the top seed, and in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, ending their season.
Their rookie quarterback that they spent the tenth pick on should be able to help them get those same results at a much cheaper price. And the Vikings certainly aren’t looking to bring back Darnold on a long-term deal.
Minnesota has yet to franchise tag Darnold or make any statements suggesting a new contract, making it seemingly clear they will allow him to enter the market.
There are a few teams who need a quarterback badly and would be willing to pay Darnold for his services. He will receive the big payday he was looking for, but it’s likely not going to be in Minnesota.
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Could Russell Wilson Reunite with Pete Carroll?
Russell Wilson could be parting ways with the Steelers after only one season with the team. Before the 2024 season, the Steelers acquired Wilson and QB Justin Fields who were both given opportunities to prove themself as QB1.
Wilson had a solid season for the Steelers, however, Fields has been rumored to be the preferred option in Pittsburgh for next season, which would leave Wilson searching for a new home.
Back in January, the Raiders hired Pete Carroll as their next head coach with whom Wilson played under for 10 seasons and won a Super Bowl with.
The Raiders have struggled finding a solid quarterback option the last few seasons and may not be in the position to draft a worthy quarterback with the sixth pick in the upcoming draft, with others with the same need ahead of them, targeting QB Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders.
Since the Carroll hiring, Wilson has been linked to the Raiders and questioned about it on numerous occasions but expressed he was focused on playing for Pittsburgh.
ESPN writer Mark Kaboly, who covers the Steelers, stated Justin Fields is Pittsburgh’s focus for quarterback. However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter expects Wilson to be the QB in Pittsburgh next year, and Wilson has said he wants to stay in Pittsburgh. Either way, the Steelers will be bringing back one, and letting the other walk.
Vikings Set to Re-Sign Aaron Jones?
RB Aaron Jones signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings before the 2024 season, and it was set to void on March 11, making him a top RB free-agent.
Jones played extremely well for the Vikings last season after there were concerns about his durability and age, which led to the Green Bay Packers choosing to release him after seven seasons.
The Vikings have still yet to make a decision on what to do at quarterback with Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy both on the roster, but re-signing Jones will at least leave them with a solid running back room while they work that out.
After the season Jones had where he successfully beat the washed allegations, he very well could test the market and sign with a new team, especially if the Vikings aren’t willing to pay up. However, Jones helped lead the Vikings to the playoffs and has expressed he would like to finish his career in Minnesota, and it seems the Vikings would like the same.
On February 15, Minnesota and Jones agreed to move the void date to March 11, which is one day before free agency begins, giving both parties time to agree on a new contract. If they don’t agree by then, the Vikings will take on a dead cap hit of $3.2 million.
With the void date being pushed back and them trying to avoid the cap hit, this is a good sign that Jones will be returning to Minnesota.
Rumor: Stefon Diggs Talking to Cowboys
Stefon Diggs was having a solid season for the Texans before he tore his ACL in Week 8 against the Colts. He signed with the Texans before the 2024 season after four years with the Bills, but will become an unrestricted free agent in early 2025.
Diggs is still a solid receiver, but with him currently rehabbing his injury, the Texans will have to decide how valuable he is to their team and how much he’s worth at 31 years old. If they chose not to re-sign him, he may already have a home not too far from Houston.
The Dallas Cowboys are rumored to be a possible stop for Diggs, should he part ways with the Texans. Diggs' younger brother Trevon Diggs is the starting cornerback for the Cowboys, and both brothers have already expressed interest in playing with each other.
The Cowboys not only have one familiar face for Stefon Diggs to think about reuniting with, but they also recently hired Ken Dorsey. Dorsey was the Bills offensive coordinator for two seasons while Diggs was in Buffalo and was hired as the Cowboys pass game coordinator on February 10.
Dallas seems like the perfect landing spot for Diggs, where he can reunite with some familiar faces and play alongside Cowboys star receiver CeeDee Lamb to form a solid wide receiver duo, so long as he can stay healthy.
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The NFL offseason is heating up with free agency first, and the NFL Draft starting soon after. Front offices will be hard at work to improve their teams, meaning some players will be on the move to new squads.
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For more NFL offseason insights and news, keep it locked to Playbook.
