- Aaron Rodgers’ decision awaits: The four-time MVP and the Steelers have reportedly met, but it remains to be seen if the two sides will agree to a deal.
- There is still defensive back talent to be had: Asante Samuel Jr. and Rasul Douglas, among others, are players who have showcased solid play in the past despite recent subpar seasons.
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
The initial wave of NFL free agency largely wiped the board clean of big-money free agents, but a handful remain unsigned, including four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Here are the best available free agents in team form, starting with Rodgers himself.
QB: Aaron Rodgers
RB: J.K. Dobbins
WR: Amari Cooper
WR: Keenan Allen
WR: Diontae Johnson
TE: Gerald Everett
LT: Tyron Smith
LG: Will Hernandez
C: David Andrews
RG: Brandon Scherff
RT: Joe Noteboom
EDGE: Matthew Judon
EDGE: Dennis Gardeck
DI: Calais Campbell
DI: John Cominsky
LB: Eric Kendricks
LB: Kyzir White
CB: Rasul Douglas
CB: Asante Samuel Jr.
CB: Mike Hilton
S: Justin Simmons
S: Julian Blackmon
Starting-caliber quarterbacks aren’t often available this late in free agency, but Aaron Rodgers appears content with waiting out the process. While Rodgers most likely won’t play at the MVP level he was once capable of, he still finished the 2024 NFL season with a 77.8 PFF overall grade, which ranked 18th among quarterbacks.
Neither Amari Cooper nor Keenan Allen should be expected to play a prominent role in an offense at this stage of their careers, but both veteran wide receivers can still contribute. They each recorded career lows in receiving yards per route run in 2024, although Cooper’s 1.52 mark still ranked 59th while Allen’s 1.30 figure placed 75th among 127 players at the position. Cooper and Allen also earned top-70 PFF receiving grades.
While durability is admittedly a concern for Tyron Smith, a team can still get a starting-caliber left tackle out of him at this stage of his career. The 34-year-old has played more than 900 snaps just once over the past six seasons, and he logged only 592 snaps in 2024. Yet, he still earned a 75.6 PFF overall grade, which ranked 30th among offensive tackles. Reliable depth offensive linemen are difficult to find at this stage of free agency, let alone a starting left tackle.
Most teams have likely turned their attention to the 2025 NFL Draft when looking to bolster their defensive lines, as there are not many good options left in free agency. Veteran interior defender Calais Campbell was still a force to be reckoned with last season at the age of 38, earning an 82.3 PFF overall grade that ranked sixth among players at his position. He is obviously not a long-term solution at this stage of his career, but he can be valuable as a situational pass rusher.
Edge defender Matthew Judon’s lone season in Atlanta did not go as planned, as he earned a career-low 44.7 PFF overall grade. Judon, who turns 33 before the start of the 2025 season, will look to bounce back with his new team.
The two best options at linebacker are in quite different situations. Eric Kendricks played at a high level in his past two seasons with the Chargers and the Cowboys but turned 33 in February. On the other hand, Kyzir White just turned 29, yet his two seasons since he left the Eagles were lackluster. Kendricks’ 75.2 PFF overall grade in 2024 ranked 14th among linebackers, and White’s 48.8 mark ranked only 79th. Nevertheless, if White can get back to the form he demonstrated with the Eagles, he can easily be a starting linebacker again.
Arguably the best available options are defensive backs. Rasul Douglas will be only 30 when the season kicks off and played at a very high level between 2021 and 2023, although his 2024 season (53.9 PFF overall grade did not go as planned). Asante Samuel Jr. flashed potential in his four seasons with the Chargers, but his 2024 campaign was cut short due to injury after just four games. He is still only 25 years old.
Mike Hilton has been one of the best slot cornerbacks in the entire league over the past eight seasons, and he still ranked 15th among cornerbacks with a 75.9 PFF overall grade in 2024. He is the oldest of the bunch at 31, though.
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