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Players with expiring contracts become free agents in the NFL, and this offseason, free agency begins on March 12. However, plenty of other players hit the open market and become eligible to sign with new teams, too. During the weeks leading up to free agency, teams release veteran players in order to save cap space. Even talented players who can still contribute fall victim to the cap and end up as free agents. We've seen an influx of talented players being let go in recent days, so check out the gallery to look at the best NFL players who have been released ahead of 2025 free agency.
1. Davante Adams, New York Jets, WR
Davante Adams might be 32 years old, but that doesn't mean he isn't still one of the best receivers (and overall players) in the NFL. Adams was brought into New York to team up with Aaron Rodgers. As we will get to later, though, the Jets are moving on from Rodgers, so they don't have much of a need for his favorite receiver, either.
The six-time Pro Bowler has 11,844 career receiving yards, 854 of which came in only 11 games after being traded to a team with (somewhat) competent quarterback play last year. There is still clearly plenty in the tank with Adams. If Rodgers gets another chance at a starting gig, it wouldn't surprise anybody if Adams followed his old pal. If not, the Fresno State product could still supply plenty of touchdown catches to whichever quarterback he receives passes from next year. He was clearly unhappy during his time with the Las Vegas Raiders, though, so interested teams need to have a good infrastructure and a reliable signal-caller.
2. Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers, DE
Three straight injury-filled seasons and huge salary relief led to the Los Angeles Chargers releasing Joey Bosa. That decision was not made because of his talent, though. Bosa is still one of the best defensive ends in football. The 2016 third overall pick has 72 career sacks.
The decision to move on from Bosa saved the Chargers over $25 million, but he should find a new home fairly quickly. Bosa has made five Pro Bowl teams, but his inability to consistently stay on the field and healthy might scare some teams off.
3. Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles, CB
The Philadelphia Eagles have a lot of really good players hitting the open market this NFL offseason, especially on the defensive side of the football. That means they need to find money somewhere in order to bring players back (the team already re-signed Zack Baun), and Darius Slay was one such cap casualty.
Slay has six Pro Bowl appearances to his name, but he is also 34 years old. He isn't an elite “island” cornerback anymore, but he played well last season after the Eagles brought in more defensive back help (Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean). There is a cost to winning, and the loss of Slay illustrates that for the Eagles.
4. Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars, TE
The Jacksonville Jaguars are retooling, and that has included moving on from some talent, albeit pricey veterans. At first, Jacksonville planned to release Christian Kirk, but they were eventually able to find a trade for the receiver. Kirk was dealt to the Houston Texans.
Then, the team decided to release another pass catcher, tight end Evan Engram. Engram has been one of the better tight ends in the league for years. He is a two-time Pro Bowler, with his most recent nod coming in 2023. Engram did have a down season in 2024, but that was mainly due to injuries.
5. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets, QB
Aaron Rodgers is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the best players in NFL history. His New York Jets stint was a nightmare, though. After suffering a season-ending achilles injury just a few snaps into his first season with the Jets, Rodgers had his worst season as a professional in year two in New York. It led to the Jets giving up on the Rodgers experiment and informing the quarterback that they intend to release him as a post-June 1 release. That means he is technically still on the roster, but the Jets will let him go after March 12.
Retirement still seems like an option for the four-time MVP, but good quarterbacks are tough to come by. Rodgers still has a cannon for an arm and an advanced understanding of how to play the quarterback position. He'd be a pretty darn good bridge quarterback for a team looking to transition to a younger quarterback in the near future.
6. Jonathan Allen, Washington Commanders, DT
Jonathan Allen has had a great eight-year career with the Washington Commanders. He became expendable with the emergence of Jer'Zhan Newton alongside Daron Payne during Allen's time dealing with injuries last season, though. The Commanders saved $16.3 million in cap space by releasing Allen and going with the younger defensive tackle.
The Commanders had been seeking a trade for Allen because they had no intentions of extending his contract. That never came to fruition, though, so Allen became one of the best players to be released this offseason.
7. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks, WR
The electric receiving trio of DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Tyler Lockett has come to a close, as the former requested a trade from the Seattle Seahawks right after the latter was released from the team. Lockett still brings it in the speed department. He is one of the best deep threats in the NFL and will be coveted by a team looking for a burner.
8. Von Miller, Buffalo Bills, Edge
Von Miller isn't the player he once was, but he will one day be in the Hall of Fame. The Super Bowl 50 MVP is now 35 years old, and the Buffalo Bills just released him. The team still has interest in bringing him back, though, but the move freed up $8.4 million.
Miller, who won championships in both Denver and Los Angeles, is one of the best sack artists in NFL history. He has 129.5 sacks in total, which ranks 16th on the official leaderboard. He can still effectively be used as a situational pass rusher.
9. Dre'Mont Jones, Seattle Seahawks, DE
The Seattle Seahawks had big expectations for Dre'Mont Jones after they signed him away from the Denver Broncos. The defensive end didn't find the same level of success in Seattle, which led to his release from the Seahawks. Perhaps a change of scenery in NFL free agency will allow him to reach his potential.
10. James Bradberry, Philadelphia Eagles, DB
Darius Slay isn't the only defensive back fresh off of a Super Bowl 59 victory with the Eagles who has been released since that game. In addition to Slay, James Bradberry won't be suiting up in Philadelphia anymore. This move comes as less of a surprise, as the Eagles were close to moving on from Bradberry last offseason after a bad 2023 campaign led to a position change from cornerback to safety.
A former Pro Bowler, Bradberry isn't the player he once was. He has seemingly had somewhat of a resurgence after moving to safety, though. His leadership and winning experience could be coveted by an NFL team during free agency now.
