ClutchPoints
Super Bowl 59 has come and gone, and Philadelphia Eagles are officially champions. Now, all 32 NFL teams have their eyes on building their rosters for next season. That starts with free agency. The Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs team they prevented from three-peating both had rosters as stacked as they had largely because of the moves that they made in the free agent market. Saquon Barkley for example, signed with the team in the offseason and proceeded to have one of the best running back seasons ever. Barkley ran for 2,000 yards and broke the single season including playoffs rushing record.
This year’s NFL free agent class isn’t quite as deep as last year’s, but there are still a bunch of big names who can make a huge impact next season; whether that be after re-signing with their team or after agreeing to a deal with a new team. Free agency doesn’t begin until March 12, but here are the top 50 NFL players set to hit the open market and become free agents available to sign with anybody.
Tee Higgins is both the biggest name and the best player set to hit the open market. His ranking is up from last year, when we ranked him as the eighth-best NFL free agent in 2024. While that should go to show that this year’s free agent class is weaker than most, it isn’t an indictment on Higgins. The receiver has long served as arguably the best number two receiver in the league behind Ja’Marr Chase on the Cincinnati Bengals’ depth chart, but he certainly has the talent to be the top option on a number of teams around the league.
Higgins was franchised tagged last season before he played on a one-year contract. He and the Bengals just haven’t been able to come to terms on a long-term contract, so he might have to go elsewhere to find that. Higgins is a big-bodied pass catcher who wins 50/50 balls. He had 10 touchdown catches this past season despite missing time with a hamstring injury, which will be interested team’s biggest concern with him in free agency.
Teams in the spotlight of the Super Bowl always lose key players, and the Chiefs just played in three straight championship games. Over the course of this dynasty, retaining all of their players has been tough for the Chiefs, and Trey Smith could be the next to go. Smith is arguably the best offensive guard in the NFL. His steadiness on the Chiefs’ interior is a big reason why Patrick Mahomes has been able to stay upright and do what he does. Smith is only 25 years old, too, so a big payday seems inevitable.
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