The 2024 NFL season has concluded. The Philadelphia Eagles, led by former Alabama QB Jalen Hurts, defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
Now the page will flip to the 2025 NFL offseason with franchises facing plenty of tough decisions on contract extensions, potential franchise tags, and who to target in free agency. The NFL Draft is just a little over two months away, too, so there will be plenty going on.
NFL free agency will officially begin on Wednesday March 12th at 4pm ET, which is the beginning of the new league year. There is a legal tampering period that begins on March 10th, and you'll see a lot of contracts being announced shortly after that before the official beginning of free agency.
Teams can use their franchise tag starting on February 18th.
By my count, there will be 18 former Alabama football players who are free agents. That number could be added to with some potential cut candidates, which we will discuss shortly. Here's a look at Alabama's impending free agents and a brief summary of what their markets might look like:
Alabama football's Top 2025 NFL Free Agents
WR Amari Cooper
Amari Cooper was traded from the Browns to the Bills at the trade deadline, but he never really caught on in Buffalo. Overall, it was the worst season of Cooper's career and it couldn't have come at a worse time as he enters free agency with a lot of uncertainty. He'll also be 31 by the time the next season starts.
Ian Valentino with the 33rd Team believes Cooper and Buffalo will move on from one another, but that Cooper will still command around a two-year, $34 million contract with over $20 million guaranteed. His days as a No. 1 option are probably over, but he can still be a productive player. Valentino mentions the Cardinals, Cowboys, Chargers, and Lions as possible fits for the former Tide star.
RB Najee Harris
The Steelers declined to pick up Najee Harris' fifth-year option, making him an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The move signaled to many that Harris' time in Pittsburgh was over, but recent reports indicate that the Steelers may try to re-sign Harris.
Harris was a first-round pick in 2021 and has four consecutive 1000 yard rushing seasons to open his career. He will have a market in free agency and teams like the Cowboys and Bears could be interested in for the former Alabama running back. A Steelers insider predicted a contract for Harris to be for around three years and be worth $25-30 million.
OT Cam Robinson
Cam Robinson was traded at the deadline from the Jaguars to the Minnesota Vikings. He increased his impending free agent value during his time playing left tackle for the Vikings, but it remains to be seen if he'll be brought back and what his market might look like. He struggled in Minnesota's Week 18 loss to the Lions and in the playoff defeat to the Rams.
C Ryan Kelly
Ryan Kelly has spent his whole career in Indianapolis, but he plans to test free agency this offseason. Kelly is a four-time Pro Bowler but will turn 32 before the start of next season. He'll undoubtedly have a market, but it will likely be a two- or three-year contract he signs this offseason.
OT Jedrick Wills Jr.
Wills and Cleveland will be parting ways this offseason. After a promising start to his career with the Browns, Wills has struggled to stay healthy and didn't handle moving from RT to LT very well. He'll be just 26 years old at the start of the next season so he will undoubtedly have a market. I would expect a short, "prove-it" style contract for Wills.
DT Jarran Reed
At 32, Jarran Reed is unlikely to get a long-term contract, but he played really well for the Seahawks in 2024 and outplayed the $4.5 million AAV he carried the last two seasons. I would expect a robust market for Reed and for him to sign a contract that exceeds his last one in terms of annual value.
QB Mac Jones
Mac Jones got to audition for 2025 free agency down the stretch following a season-ending injury to Trevor Lawrence. The former 1st round pick struggled to build off of his outstanding rookie season in New England and was ultimately traded to Jacksonville last offseason with the Jaguars declining his fifth-year option.
Jones probably didn't play well enough to get a legitimate shot at a starting job next season, but there are a couple of teams where he could potentially go and compete, especially if those teams miss out on QBs in the draft. There will be a market for Jones; he just might have to wait a while to see other dominos fall first.
Other 2025 Alabama Free Agents:
OL Bradley Bozeman
OL Alex Leatherwood
OL Lester Cotton
DL Da'Shawn Hand
DL LaBryan Ray
CB Levi Wallace
CB Josh Jobe
CB Tony Brown
S Ronnie Harrison
S Eddie Jackson
P J.K. Scott
Potential cut candidates:
These players could be cut for cost-savings with minimal dead-money on next year's books:
DL Raekwon Davis (Colts)
CB Trevon Diggs (Cowboys)
DL Jonathan Allen (Commanders)
DL A'Shawn Robinson (Panthers
LB Mack Wilson Sr. (Cardinals)
Technically both Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs could be cut by the Ravens and Packers respectively. Henry would only carry a dead-cap number of $3.8 million and would save Baltimore about $6 million. Jacobs would carry a dead-cap number of $9.375 million, but would save the Packers around $27 million in future money.
Both are unrealistic, however, after big first seasons with new teams.
Contract extension candidates
As of right now, the only real candidate for a major contract extension is Lions WR Jameson Williams. Williams is still on his rookie contract and Detroit will undoubtedly exercise the fifth-year option on his contract after a breakout 2024 season that saw him eclipse 1000 yards for the first time and finish second in the NFL in yards-per-catch.
Williams has had some issues in the NFL - suspensions for both gambling and PED usage being chief among them, which could cause Detroit to wait on negotiating a major extension considering exercising his option would keep him under contract through the 2026 season.
Williams is undeniably talented and was an integral part of the Lions offense this season. If they do negotiate an extension, I would expect the number to be similar to what DeVonta Smith got from the Eagles: 3-years, $75 million - though I would assume it will have less guaranteed money due to the risk Jamo brings.