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ESPN Writer- Matt Bowen is a fantasy football and NFL writer for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2015, writes regularly for ESPN+ and spent multiple years on "NFL Matchup." After graduating from the University of Iowa, Matt played safety in the NFL for St. Louis, Green Bay, Washington and Buffalo over seven seasons.
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senior NFL national reporter- Jeremy Fowler is a senior national NFL writer for ESPN, covering the entire league including breaking news. Jeremy also contributes to SportsCenter both as a studio analyst and a sideline reporter covering for NFL games. He is an Orlando, Florida native who joined ESPN in 2014 after covering college football for CBSSports.com.
We're officially into the second half of the 2024 NFL season, so many teams will soon start thinking about their offseason plans -- and 2025 free agency. The negotiation period will begin March 10, and free agents will be able to officially sign two days later on March 12.
Sure, that's four months away, but we're getting an early start. NFL analyst Matt Bowen looked at the current group of players primed to hit unrestricted free agency (expiring contracts or deals in line to void) and ranked the top 25 who might be available. Only two quarterbacks make the list, but Bowen stacked multiple playmakers on both sides of the ball, including one standout receiver at No. 1. Factors in making the list included age, positional value (the pair of QBs get a boost), expected future production and scheme versatility.
But players don't always reach free agency just because their contracts are expiring! Dak Prescott, Justin Jefferson, Derrick Brown and L'Jarius Sneed were all named on our way-too-early look at the class back in March, and they've all signed big extensions. We'll see more extensions and a few franchise tags before free agency, just as players will join the free agent pool via cuts. And because many of the players listed below will ultimately re-up with their current franchises, senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler weighed in with the latest buzz on whether each might be re-signed or franchise-tagged by their 2024 team.
Note: All ages are as of Sept. 4, 2025, a rough estimate of when the 2025 season might begin.
More 2025 offseason prep from 
:
Biggest team needs | Top draft prospects
