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With the NFL offseason underway, hypothetical trade offers and public trade requests have begun to dominate the headlines. Reports and rumors are swirling around some of the NFL’s biggest names. It’s time to take stock of which players rank as the top potentially available targets of the 2025 offseason.
Garrett is not bluffing with his trade request, but the Browns don’t seem keen to let him go. Should he be on the market, he would unequivocally be the top available player this offseason. Entering Year 9, Garrett has shown no signs of slowing down, evidenced by his league-leading 92.8 PFF pass-rush grade and 23.1% pass-rush win rate in 2024.
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Hill’s public comments following the season’s conclusion and the subsequent walking back of those comments have very much put the talented receiver’s future in flux. The nine-year veteran stumbled in 2024 due to instability under center for the Dolphins and the offense’s general ineffectiveness, which earned him the lowest PFF receiving grade of his career (77.3). Despite that, the phones in the Dolphins’ front office will be ringing should Hill become available.
While the Rams are interested in bringing back Stafford to head up Sean McVay’s offense in 2025, the belief is that his current deal is “untenable,” according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. As the team works to restructure his contract, the other avenue that may become more likely as we get closer to the start of the new league year is a potential trade. Given Stafford’s experience and accolades, the Rams would field numerous calls if the veteran signal-caller is on the trade block.
The first domino to fall in the receiver market undoubtedly should be Higgins, as he holds all of the traits coveted in a WR1 — and it wouldn’t cost draft capital to secure him. Despite an ailing hamstring holding him out at times this past season, Higgins still produced exceptionally in 2024, amassing the highest PFF receiving grade (88.3) of his career.
While the Jets’ dealing of their 24-year-old former first-round pick with nothing but stellar production is unlikely on the surface, reports that Wilson could request a trade this offseason have sprouted as of late. If he were to become available, he would immediately become one of the most coveted receivers on the trade market. Wilson is a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands, with his 25 missed tackles forced on receptions leading all receivers in 2024.
Led by a new regime, the Raiders are working to overhaul their roster. And Crosby has been floated as a potential trade candidate to help expedite the process.
The six-year veteran edge rusher dealt with a nagging ankle injury early in the 2024 campaign but toughed it out to produce a modest 74.9 PFF overall grade before reaggravating it in December, ultimately ending his season. While that mark is a step down from his usual standard of play, the 27-year-old isn’t far removed from his three consecutive seasons of 90.0-plus PFF grades from 2021-2023. If the Raiders were to make him available, there would be no shortage of teams interested.
The top free-agent offensive lineman on the market will have no shortage of suitors. Over his first four seasons, he has never fallen below a 72.0 single-season PFF overall grade while playing more than 1,200 snaps each year. In 2024, Smith continued to polish his pass protection, earning career-best marks in pressures allowed (40) and pass-blocking efficiency rating.
Before going down with a gruesome ankle injury in October, the eight-year veteran was on pace to produce one of his best seasons as a pro. Through Week 7, Godwin boasted the third-highest PFF receiving grade (85.7) among wideouts, displaying that the savvy slot target still has good snaps left, should he be able to bounce back from his injury.
After briefly entertaining retirement, Mack is returning for 2025 and will enter the free-agent market as the top available edge rusher. Even after 11 seasons, he remains one of the NFL’s premier edge defenders and has graded in the top six at the position in each of the past two years. Over that span, the veteran has racked up 139 pressures, including an impressive 27 sacks, proving he’s still a dominant force.
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Although the 25-year-old safety struggled in 2024 — earning a career-low 63.0 PFF overall grade — his impressive early-career track record will certainly attract teams hoping to tap into that potential. Across his first three seasons, Holland stood as one of the top-five safeties in PFF overall grade, topping out at a 90.4 mark in 2023.
After finding his way to New York in October to link back up with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Adams could depart alongside his teammate. Despite producing his lowest PFF receiving grade (76.8) since 2016, he still has plenty of good snaps left and would provide an established offense with an X receiver who routinely showcases his savvy route-running and contested-catch ability.
Reed enters free agency after notching his sixth straight season with a PFF overall grade above 70.0, accomplishing the feat across three different franchises. In 2024, he recorded a 51.28% lockdown rate, continuing a trend of standout play that defined his time in New York, where he ranked in the 91st percentile among outside cornerbacks over three seasons.
After being the center of numerous trade rumors near the deadline, Kupp is set to depart Los Angeles after the team informed him it will seek a trade this offseason. Some risk-averse teams will likely overlook Kupp due to his age (32 in June) and recent injury history. But, even in a down year, the dynamic receiver earned a 72.3 PFF receiving grade, showcasing his exceptional floor and potential to bounce back.
The Saints find themselves in a difficult cap situation, and maintaining the roster as currently constructed is untenable. Carr’s significant contract may be the first domino to fall, as he has been linked as a possible trade target for various quarterback-needy teams. Despite dealing with a pair of injuries that limited him to just 10 starts in 2024, Carr was excellent when on the field, earning the fifth-highest PFF passing grade (86.7) among qualifying passers.
The difficulty comes in the form of Carr’s no-trade clause, which could potentially result in a post-June 1 cut for the veteran quarterback.
After a pair of extensions (Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings) and a first-round receiver selection (Ricky Pearsall), the writing was on the wall that Samuel would be the odd man out in the 49ers’ receiver room. Although 2024 was a far cry from his level of play in years prior, Samuel is still a versatile weapon who is deadly with the ball in his hands. His 8.2 yards after catch per reception ranked third among all qualifying receivers this past season.
With Michael Penix Jr. overtaking Cousins under center in Atlanta, the veteran quarterback’s market has started to take shape. However, Cousins’ enormous contract cost and no-trade clause make trading for the passer a difficult task that most front offices won’t be able to accommodate, which could lead to Cousins becoming a post-June 1 cut.
While Cousins had a down year marred by injuries, he still showed flashes of the ability that made him the most sought-after free agent on the market last cycle. The 36-year-old quarterback can still push the ball downfield, earning a 91.6 PFF passing grade on passes targeted 20 or more yards downfield in 2024.
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Sweat’s consistent production as part of Philadelphia’s elite pass-rush unit makes him one of the most attractive options on the free-agent market. Entering his age-28 season, he brings a stellar track record, ranking 15th among edge defenders in pressures (178) over the past three seasons. The former Eagle will also bring with him the momentum from his three-sack performances in Super Bowl 59, helping Philadelphia earn a second Lombardi Trophy.
As Kirk enters the final year of his contract, and comes off an injury that ended his season in October, Jacksonville is likely to search for avenues to get out from under his $24.11 million cap hit in 2025. The 28-year-old receiver is a prime candidate to be dealt to a team desperate for receiving help — or be designated as a post-June 1 cut.
While Kirk’s production has diminished each year in Jacksonville, as injuries limited his time on the field, he has played well when healthy. Per PFF’s stable receiver metrics, Kirk’s 79.4% separation rate against single coverage over the past three seasons ranks in the 98th percentile at the position.
The Bills added Amari Cooper at the trade deadline this past season to boost their limited receiving corps. Although he didn’t erupt in his time catching passes from 2024 NFL MVP Josh Allen, like many thought he would, he did produce a respectable 72.2 PFF receiving grade in a Bills uniform. Cooper may not have the same juice as in his earlier years, but he would be valuable to an offense looking for veteran leadership in the receiver room.
Stanley’s significant injury in 2020 hindered him for some time, but his performance in 2024 proved he may once again be able to return to form — or at least some semblance of the player he was prior. Stanley played his best ball when the games mattered most, as the Ravens were fighting for playoff positioning and an AFC North title. In his final four games, Stanley produced an 87.0 PFF pass-blocking grade, allowing just six pressures across 109 pass sets.
One of the burning questions this offseason revolves around determining whether Darnold’s breakout 82.0 PFF overall grade in 2024 was more than just a flash in the pan. While he is certainly the top signal-caller on the free-agent market, Darnold falls a bit further down the pecking order should some more established passers become available.
What started as one of the most promising rosters in the NFL with a four-time MVP quarterback now appears to be falling apart after just one full season together. With new brass running the show in New York, the expectation is that general manager Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn will look elsewhere under center.
As Rodgers enters his age-41 season, he could still garner interest from quarterback-needy teams looking for an experienced passer who rarely puts the ball in harm’s way. His 1.8% turnover-worthy play rate this past season was his best since 2018.
