Prisco’s Top 100 free agents, plus teams poised to make huge leaps in 2025 and key offseason dates to know

Happy midweek, everyone! John Breech is busy hunting down Jake Elliott to congratulate him on his Super Bowl kicking performance. So today’s Pick Six Newsletter is brought to you by Cody Benjamin, with tidbits on all the latest from around the NFL.

Be sure to subscribe right here, to ensure you never miss a daily dose of NFL updates. And keep on reading for everything from Pete Prisco’s annual free agent ranking to Travis Kelce retirement buzz:

1. Prisco’s Top 100 free agents: Sam Darnold on top

In precisely one month, 2025 NFL free agency will officially be underway. So Pete Prisco has combed through all of this year’s pending free agents to identify his Top 100. And he’s got somewhat of a surprise name headlining the 2025 crop: Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins is the best player available in free agency. But he isn’t the top-ranked player on my annual list.That’s because of position value. … In a league of quarterback-starved teams, Darnold should command a mega deal if he hits the market, which is likely. The Vikings probably won’t bring him back after drafting J.J. McCarthy in the first round last year, only to see him suffer a knee injury in training camp. The Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans could be spots for Darnold, who will likely command a deal that pays an average of close to $40 million per season. Would I pay that? I do think it’s risky, but if you don’t have a quarterback, you better get one. 

Check out Prisco’s full Top 100 right here.

2. Travis Kelce seriously pondering retirement 

The star Kansas City Chiefs tight end was a near-non-factor in the club’s Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. And now he might not play again. The 35-year-old future Hall of Famer revealed this week that he’s still “kicking myself” for not being “the best leader” in the Super Bowl, and added that he needs time to consider whether he’s up for more “wear and tear” after 12 NFL seasons.

3. Teams poised to make a big leap in 2025

The Eagles just hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, and now the rest of the NFL is gearing up to make their own run at a title. Which teams are due for a significant step forward come 2025? Jeff Kerr picked five of his favorite candidates, and a certain former No. 1 overall draft pick is part of the list:

Carolina Panthers: The Panthers were a bad football team last season, but the final record is deceiving. Carolina was highly competitive in the second half of last season, going 4-5 in its final nine games. The key piece in all this was Bryce Young, who had 20 touchdowns to eight turnovers after he returned from his benching in Week 2, including 10 total touchdowns to zero turnovers in the final three games. … The NFC South is not a good division, so there’s room for the Panthers to up that win total by a few games.

4. Key offseason dates: Draft, trades, free agency

Now that the Super Bowl is behind us, it’s time to take stock of what’s ahead. We just dropped a full rundown of all the important dates on the 2025 offseason calendar. Here’s what’s up next:

• Starting now — Trade negotiating: All NFL teams are permitted to discuss and/or agree to any trades involving players or draft picks. However, if a trade includes players on existing contracts, it cannot be finalized and processed until the start of the league year in March (see below).
• Feb. 18 — Franchise tag window opens: NFL teams can begin applying the franchise or transition tag — fixed one-year contract offers — to players with expiring contracts.
• Feb. 24-March 3 — Scouting combine: Some of college football’s top prospects will undergo workouts and NFL team interviews at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, in preparation for the draft.
• March 4 — Franchise tag deadline: At 4 p.m. ET, teams are no longer permitted to apply the franchise or transition tag to eligible players.
• March 10 — Free agent negotiating period begins: Starting at 12 p.m. ET, all NFL teams can contact and negotiate potential contracts with the certified agents of players with expiring contracts. Agreements can be reached in principle, but they cannot be officially signed.

5. Assessing Aaron Rodgers’ potential destinations

All indications are the New York Jets will move on from Aaron Rodgers ahead of 2025 free agency. Where could the 41-year-old quarterback end up, provided he returns for a 21st season? We weighed the pros and cons for six different potential destinations, including the one-time rival Minnesota Vikings:

• Pros of a possible Vikings team-up: They seem prepared to let Sam Darnold test the market after the rejuvenated quarterback’s late-year crash, yet they could also use a battle-tested arm as the unproven J.J. McCarthy recovers from multiple knee surgeries. Like Brett Favre before him, Rodgers could go for a spirited sendoff in purple, pairing with Minnesota’s ready-made supporting cast and taking on his old Packers pals in the process.
• Cons of a possible Vikings team-up: They really like McCarthy, and even if he’s not 100% for Week 1, adding Rodgers would completely flip the script of this year; it would be less about a slow unveiling of a homegrown investment and more about, well, the Aaron Rodgers Show. They might find cheaper and/or equivalent talents in free agency.

Find our full breakdown of potential landing spots right here.

6. Extra points: Eagles OC, draft odds, and more

Here are some bonus headlines, just for you: