Tremendous Bowl LIX and the 2024 season are within the books, so it is time to flip the web page to the 2025 offseason.
Listed below are 10 questions (and solutions) concerning the subsequent few months.
1. When does the 2025 NFL league 12 months start?
March 12 at 4 p.m. ET. That is when free brokers can formally signal contracts and trades may be permitted.
2. What are some participant deadlines to observe?
Saints quarterback Derek Carr’s $30M wage turns into absolutely assured on the third league day, Could 14. (h/t Spotrac)
Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins has a $10M 2025 roster bonus that turns into assured Could 16.
On that very same day, Browns defensive finish Myles Garrett, who requested a commerce on Feb. 3, will receive a $5M roster bonus.
Longtime Seahawks huge receiver Tyler Lockett, who acknowledged his murky outlook in Seattle following the regular season, can even obtain a good-looking payday Could 16, when his $5.3M roster bonus prompts.
3. Who’re essentially the most notable free brokers?
Bengals huge receiver Tee Higgins is arguably the most effective participant in the marketplace. In 2024, he averaged 75.9 receiving yards per recreation, the second most in his five-year profession, and scored a career-high 10 touchdowns.
Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner, Chargers exterior linebacker Khalil Mack and Eagles defensive finish Josh Sweat are among the many greatest defenders.
Sam Darnold (Vikings) is essentially the most noteworthy quarterback, adopted by Steelers quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
4. What’s the anticipated 2025 wage cap?
In December, NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported that teams were budgeting for the wage cap to be from $265M to $275M. That low-end estimate might be conservative based mostly on salary- cap progress tendencies.
• 2021: $182.5 million
• 2022: $208.2 million (+14.1%)
• 2023: $224.8 million (+8%)
• 2024: $255.4 million (+13.6%)
Over the previous three years, 2023’s eight p.c wage cap spike has been the league’s most minor. If the cap will increase eight p.c once more this season, that might put the 2025 cap at $275.8 million.
5. When and the place is the 2025 NFL Draft?
April 24-26 in Inexperienced Bay. After being in Detroit final April, the draft is on the street for the tenth time after happening in New York from 1965-2014. It can occur over three nights, with the primary spherical on Thursday, April 24.
The 2026 draft is scheduled for Pittsburgh from April 23-25.
6. Who’re this 12 months’s high prospects?
2024 Heisman winner Colorado cornerback and huge receiver Travis Hunter is the highest participant on most draft huge boards, with Penn State defensive finish Abdul Carter additionally receiving consideration.
Hunter’s Colorado teammate, Shedeur Sanders, and Miami’s Cam Ward are the clear high two quarterbacks and, per many draft consultants, the one ones with first-round grades coming into the pre-draft course of.
7. When will the 2025 schedule be launched?
Since 2020, the league has pushed again the date from mid-April to after the NFL Draft.
Here is when the schedule was launched the previous 5 seasons:
• 2020: Thursday, May 7
• 2021: Wednesday, May 12
• 2022: Thursday, May 12
• 2023: Thursday, May 11
• 2024: Wednesday, May 15
Anticipate the schedule to be unveiled across the identical time, with Wednesday, Could 14 or Thursday, Could 15 being the almost certainly dates.
8. Who’re Tremendous Bowl champion Philadelphia’s potential house opponents for the season’s first recreation?
Whereas we do not know particular recreation instances, the Eagles’ 2025 opponents have been confirmed.
Philadelphia will performs its three NFC East rivals, with the Cowboys and Commanders the almost certainly choices for the Thursday season opener.
The Lions additionally journey to Lincoln Monetary Area, making that an attractive possibility for the season’s first recreation.
A divisional-round rematch in opposition to the Rams could be subsequent on our record, adopted by the Broncos and Bears.
Loads can change earlier than the schedule is finalized. Nonetheless, as at present constructed, Philadelphia’s two different house opponents, the Giants and Raiders, aren’t engaging sufficient to placed on a giant stage.
9. What potential trades ought to we anticipate?
Garrett is the largest title after demanding to be traded to a contender. If a commerce occurs, it will doubtless be a post-June 1 transaction, when the Browns would save almost $5M in opposition to the 2025 cap.
Rams huge receiver Cooper Kupp confirmed Los Angeles plans to trade him this offseason.
On Sunday, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported the 49ers have permitted huge receiver Deebo Samuel to hunt a commerce.
Cousins can also be a candidate to observe earlier than his $10M roster bonus turns into assured.
On Saturday, ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano reported the Titans may commerce the No. 1 decide of the 2025 NFL Draft and pursue a younger, veteran quarterback in free company.
10. What are different important dates?
The NFL Scouting Mix is Feb. 25-March 3. The deadline for groups to use the franchise or transition tag is the day following the mix (March 4).
Groups might start negotiating with brokers when the authorized tampering interval begins on March 10, with the annual league assembly three weeks later, from March 30-April 2.
2022 first-round picks have till Could 1 for groups to choose up their 2026 fifth-year choices, whereas July 15 is the deadline for franchise-tagged gamers to comply with a long-term extension.
