2025 NFL trade candidates: Top players who could be dealt in offseason

Posted by author February 13, 2025 NFL

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The NFL world’s obsession with the player movement market doesn’t stay on the sidelines for long, even around the league’s marquee event.

Days before the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl 59 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, players from two teams not involved in the game managed to shift the spotlight. Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett went public with his trade request, and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp revealed the team’s plan to move him in the coming weeks. And while no deal can become official until the start of the new league year on March 12, the lead-up to free agency is sure to spark some conversations between teams about potential swaps.

Here are some of the notable players who could be candidates to be moved in trades this offseason:

Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams

Four years after being dealt to Los Angeles, Stafford could again reshape the league’s power structure if he ends up being moved. On its face, such a decision would seem outlandish for the Rams, who came within striking distance of reaching the NFC title game. But coach Sean McVay has remained noncommittal on the team’s plans at a time when Stafford has just $4 million in guaranteed money for next season and none for 2026. If the two sides can’t find common ground on a new contract, Stafford should have no shortage of suitors given his track record of quickly adapting to a new setting and the underwhelming crop of passers available in this year’s draft class.

Derek Carr, QB, New Orleans Saints

Carr has a no-trade clause, so the Saints don’t have a wealth of options here. But something finally might have to give with the signal-caller, who is due to have $30 million in base salary become fully guaranteed if he’s on the roster on the third day of the new league year. Carr has openly stated he would refuse a pay cut, so this is likely a matter of whether New Orleans wants to expand the scope of its reset or forge ahead for at least another year. But Carr would surely draw interest elsewhere, so the Saints have to at least ask around.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Atlanta Falcons

Like Carr, Cousins has a no-trade clause, so an agreeable swap will be hard to come by. The Falcons, meanwhile, have indicated that they don’t necessarily need to ditch their marquee free-agent signing of a year ago even as they pivot to Michael Penix Jr. as their starting quarterback, with general manager Terry Fontenot saying in January that the team was “very comfortable moving forward with him as a backup.” But there’s a clear bottom-line appeal for Atlanta to orchestrate a deal, as that scenario would leave the organization on the hook for just $37.5 million of the $65 million dead cap hit it would face with a release of Cousins before June 1. The veteran signal-caller is also due a $10 million roster bonus for 2026 if not released by the fifth of day of the upcoming new league year, so the Falcons’ plan should come into focus over the course of the next month.

Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets

The Aaron Rodgers era is coming to an end, but three years of losing and subpar quarterback play seem to have taken a toll on Wilson. While scraping his way to career highs of 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns, Wilson had a sideline blow-up late in the season and vented his frustrations, with his future with the organization being thrown into question. It’s up to the new regime of Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey to make things right with the star target … or flip him for what should be substantial draft capital. But if Wilson is willing to stick around, keeping one of the few offensive building blocks seems like the clear-cut choice.

Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams

Kupp already aired out the Rams’ intention to move him, as well as his displeasure with the decision. Having missed 18 games due to injury the last three seasons, the Super Bowl 56 MVP could be difficult to deal on his current contract, which might necessitate Los Angeles paying a chunk of his upcoming $12.5 million base salary to facilitate a deal. Still, even though he’s set to turn 32 in June, don’t discount his potential value to a contender. Kupp could be a valuable secondary option as someone who can reliably work the middle of the field and bolster the run game with his blocking.

DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

If there’s an odd man out in the Seahawks’ receiving corps, it’s likely Tyler Lockett, who is 32 and has a $30.9 million cap hit net season. But Metcalf has only a year remaining on his deal, and general manager John Schneider might be hesitant to dip into the pricier end of the booming receiver extension market, especially as coach Mike Macdonald signals a pivot to an offense led by the ground game. Still only 27, the ultra-athletic target could be of interest to one of several contenders looking for a primary weapon in the passing game.

Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers

In January, 49ers general manager John Lynch dismissed the notion the team would deal its all-purpose standout, saying “we’re not in the business of letting good players out of here.” Fast forward a month and Samuel’s request to seek a trade has been granted. While the wide receiver and team were able to patch things up three years ago when Samuel last sought his ticket out of town, a split appears more likely this time given that San Francisco needs to embrace a new financial landscape with the forthcoming Brock Purdy extension. With 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall and fourth-round pick Jacob Cowing waiting in the wings behind a bevy of established playmakers, it’s likely best for all parties to move on.

Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

This would only be in a tag-and-trade scenario, so the March 4 deadline will make it clear whether Higgins will hit the open market or the Bengals will try to extract more than a comp pick down the line if an extension can’t be agreed to. If he does receive the franchise tag for a second consecutive year, even only as a temporary measure, Higgins would be owed a salary of $26.17 million – well short of what he’d earn in a long-term deal.

Christian Kirk, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

His name carried a significant amount of buzz near the trade deadline before he suffered a season-ending broken collarbone in Week 8. With a new regime led by first-year coach Liam Coen coming in and Brian Thomas Jr. now established as Trevor Lawrence’s go-to target, Kirk sure looks superfluous given the gulf between his contract ($24 million cap hit in 2025) and contributions (his 47.4 yards per game ranking as his lowest output since 2021). At 28, though, he could still be a meaningful contributor to another team.

Evan Engram, TE, Jaguars

Like Kirk, his standing in Jacksonville looks uncertain after injuries limited Engram to just nine games in 2024. And 2023 second-round pick Brenton Strange fared well in Engram’s absence, notching 40 catches for 411 yards and two touchdowns. Some action is in order given his looming $19.5 million cap hit and the potential $6 million in savings that could be had if Jacksonville deals him.

Kyle Pitts, TE, Falcons

Selected ahead of the likes of All-Pros Ja’Marr Chase, Penei Sewell and Micah Parsons in the star-studded 2021 class, Pitts has been put on notice for not yet living up to his lofty draft status as the former No. 4 overall pick. Said Fontenot in January: “When you take a player that high, obviously you expect a certain level. We understand Kyle had a really good rookie year and it hasn’t equaled that since then. There are no excuses we’re making about it.” Atlanta might not recoup much if it dealt Pitts after he averaged just 35.4 yards per game last year, but maybe another team would be enamored with his unrealized potential.

Trey Hendrickson, DE, Bengals

Hendrickson called for a trade last offseason but was ignored by Cincinnati’s front office. He responded with an NFL-leading 17 ½ sacks in 2024 for a unit that underwhelmed at almost every other spot. That performance could push things to their tipping point, as Hendrickson told “the Pat McAfee Show” last week, “I want to help win a Super Bowl for Cincinnati, whether I’m there or not.” With Chase and possibly Higgins likely ahead of him in line for extensions, this stalemate could stretch out – if it’s not ended early by Cincinnati finding a taker for a premier pass rusher.

Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns

For now, Cleveland appears to be tuning out its star player going public with his desire to play elsewhere. It remains to be seen how long that will be a viable approach, especially after Garrett ribbed Andrew Berry by referencing the general manager’s “Cleveland to Canton” remark in his trade request statement. Between the financial elements of the Browns’ inauspicious cap outlook and Garrett’s potential contractual expectations, as well as the difficulties of finding the right price for a six-time Pro Bowl pass rusher on the verge of 30, hammering out any deal – if the Browns even open themselves up to that possibility – will be remarkably complicated. But a trade could end up being the most consequential move of the offseason, as it could reshape part of the league’s contending class as well as the top of the draft order.

Micah Parsons, LB, Dallas Cowboys

Trading Parsons would be nothing short of shocking for an organization that has prioritized developing in-house talent and not making seismic personnel moves. But however remote, the possibility has to be acknowledged after NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported there have “at least been some internal discussions about whether to pay Parsons or trade him for a king’s ransom.” Jerry Jones in recent months has repeatedly shot down the notion of any potential movement. The most likely outcome remains a massive extension, which would have him joining Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb in resetting the market.

Denzel Ward + Greg Newsome II, CBs, Browns

Could Garrett’s declaration of discontent have other Browns standouts eyeing the door? Ward told cleveland.com that the defensive end’s fate would have a “huge impact” on his own future. The four-time Pro Bowler, who turns 28 in April, could surely fetch some premium draft capital if Cleveland does opt to blow things up. Newsome drew some buzz around last season’s trade deadline and could be a candidate to be moved sometime this calendar year, though the acquiring team would need enough flexibility to take on his nearly $13.4 million payout stemming from his fifth-year option.

Jaire Alexander, CB, Green Bay Packers

A release is the most likely outcome for the two-time Pro Bowl selection, who has managed to play seven games in each of the last two seasons. Despite Green Bay’s deficiencies at the position, they probably aren’t inclined to cling onto that limited production given that Alexander’s nearly $25 million cap hit would the be the third-largest figure of any player on the team for 2025. Cutting Alexander outright would free up more than $6.8 million in cap space, but it’s worth at least checking around to see if any teams would take a flier on him.

Riq Woolen, CB, Seahawks

The first year under Macdonald was rough for Woolen, who was benched for the opening drive of a December game due to a violation of team rules and was called out by his coach for his wandering focus leading to technique issues. With top cornerback Devon Witherspoon eligible for an extension after next season and Woolen only having one year left on his rookie deal, it might be time for Seattle to evaluate whether the franchise should try to find a buyer now for a player who had six interceptions and earned a Pro Bowl nod in his debut 2022 campaign.