2025 NFL Free Agents Who Could Follow Saquon Barkley's Resurgence with New Teams
The NFL is a star-driven league, but sometimes, even the brightest stars need the right situations to shine. Saquon Barkley's resurgent season with the Philadelphia Eagles serves as a prime example.
Barkley had a pair of Pro Bowl campaigns with the New York Giants but largely faded into the background last season—due, in part, to injuries but also due to New York's overall offensive incompetence.
On Thursday night, the 27-year-old racked up 198 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns while lifting the Eagles to a sixth consecutive victory. Barkley, who is now on pace to top 2,200 scrimmage yards in 2024, has been rejuvenated by a great offensive line, a strong supporting cast and effective coaching.
It's hard to imagine a more perfect situation for Barkley, and his bounce-back campaign is a reminder that not all once-electric NFL players are past their prime. Some are simply in the wrong spot.
With this in mind, let's examine impending 2025 free agents who have underwhelmed this season but who could experience their own bounce-back seasons with new teams. We'll examine what's gone wrong and what opportunities could return them to their former glory.
Keenan Allen, WR, Chicago Bears
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Injuries have limited 32-year-old receiver Keenan Allen in recent years, but the six-time Pro Bowler still had top-tier production in 2023. Despite playing just 13 games, he caught 108 passes for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns.
Allen was traded to the Chicago Bears this past offseason, and he's been uncharacteristically quiet in Chicago. He has missed time with a heel injury, but that has only been part of the problem.
The Bears have done a poor job of building an offense around rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who has struggled to get Allen consistently involved. Despite seeing 48 targets, the veteran receiver has caught just 26 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns.
The coaching of former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who was fired this week, may also have been part of the issue.
"I think during OTAs, training camp, he kind of fell into a trap of letting things go, not holding people accountable. Obviously those things lead to a slippery slope," Allen said, per Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune.
Like fellow receiver D.J. Moore, Allen has seen his numbers nosedive. With better coaching, a more cohesive offense and a more efficient quarterback, however, he might return to the production he frequently had with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Allen should be interested in following Barkley to Philadelphia. The Eagles have been desperate for a third receiver to partner with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and his inside-outside versatility would make him perfect for the role.
Joining the Eagles would also allow Allen to reunite with Kellen Moore, who was the Chargers offensive coordinator in 2023 before taking the same role with Philly this season.
Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
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To be fair, Nick Chubb's disappearance from the NFL spotlight was caused by the significant knee injury he suffered in the second week of the 2023 season. The 28-year-old has only appeared in three games this season and hasn't looked like the same back he was pre-injury.
Chubb is averaging a career-low 2.7 yards per carry, though it was always likely to take some time for him to fully recover. He hasn't been helped by an injury-impacted and inconsistent offensive line or by Cleveland's disastrous quarterback situation.
There's a chance that the four-time Pro Bowler could revitalize his career in Cleveland, if the Browns can stabilize the offensive line and settle on a capable signal-caller. He'll be a free agent in the offseason, though, and may not want to finish his career as part of whatever rebuild is coming to Cleveland.
Instead, Chubb should try to finish his career with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs—and, yes, plenty of players may want to do the same.
Chubb's former teammate Kareem Hunt is currently thriving behind Kansas City's powerful offensive line—which was recently rated as the league's fifth-best by Pro Football Focus. Hunt is only signed through the end of the season, and while Kansas City does have Isiah Pacheco, he's still working his way back from a broken fibula.
Pairing Chubb with Pacheco in Kansas City's backfield would help ensure that neither player is overworked. It would also give the Chiefs a powerful, multi-faceted ground game to complement a passing attack that should have Rashee Rice back in the fold next season.
If Chubb can be even close to the player he was pre-injury he could play a big role in keeping Kansas City's dynasty alive.
Matthew Judon, Edge, Atlanta Falcons
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Pass-rusher Matthew Judon was one of the NFL's most disruptive defenders in 2022, finishing with 15.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and 42 quarterback pressures. He recorded four sacks in his first four games of 2023 but then suffered a season-ending biceps injury.
The New England Patriots traded Judon to the Atlanta Falcons this past offseason, and the 32-year-old hasn't been as productive with his new team. Through 10 games, he's recorded just 1.5 sacks and six quarterback pressures.
Of course, Judon hasn't exactly had a top-tier supporting cast. The Falcons lack pass-rushers in a big way, which has made it easier for opposing offenses to focus on slowing Judon. As a team, Atlanta has recorded just nine sacks. Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett leads the team with 2.5 quarterback takedowns.
Judon and Jarrett are the only Falcons defenders who have recorded more than a single sack thus far.
For Judon, a return to the Baltimore Ravens could make a ton of sense. Two of his four Pro Bowls came with the Ravens, and Baltimore knows exactly how to use older edge-rushers who may no longer be suited for every-down roles.
This season, the 33-year-old Kyle Van Noy has played just 59 percent of the defensive snaps but still leads the Ravens with seven sacks. He, Odafe Oweh (4.5 sacks) and Nnamdi Madubuike (5 sacks) would ensure that the pass rush doesn't begin and end with Judon.
Baltimore's secondary needs work—and a lot of it—but a strong run defense and a potent offense would ensure that Judon has plenty of opportunities to get after opposing quarterbacks.
DeMarcus Lawrence, Edge, Dallas Cowboys
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While the rest of the Dallas Cowboys defense has struggled this season, DeMarcus Lawrence has been solid—when he's been healthy anyway. The 32-year-old has been limited to four games because of a Lisfranc injury, but in those four games, he recorded three sacks, 10 QB pressures and four tackles for loss.
Lawrence is still a very disruptive defender, though his time with the Cowboys is likely drawing to a close.
The defense has floundered under new coordinator Mike Zimmer, Dak Prescott (hamstring) is done for the year, and the Cowboys have become one of the NFL's least-relevant teams. A rebuild is likely incoming, and if/when Lawrence returns to the field in 2024, few may notice.
Fans will notice the four-time Pro Bowler again if he lands with a team like the rival Washington Commanders. Washington has become very relevant this season, thanks in no small part to rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. However, their defense remains a work in progress.
Lawrence would be an ideal fit for the Commanders because of his ability to pressure quarterbacks and blow up running plays—Washington ranks 30th in yards per carry allowed. The Commanders would be a perfect fit for him because of head coach Dan Quinn.
Quinn, who spent the past three years as Dallas' defensive coordinator, knows exactly how to put Lawrence in a position to succeed. The Commanders could also reunite Lawrence with former Cowboys pass-rusher Dorance Armstrong and, possibly, Dante Fowler Jr.—though, Fowler is an impending free agent.
With $103.7 million in projected 2025 cap space, Washington can afford to shore up other parts of their defensive lineup, which could give him a stronger overall supporting cast than the Cowboys can offer.
Haason Reddick, Edge, New York Jets
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Fans can be forgiven if they've forgotten that pass-rusher Haason Reddick has even played for the New York Jets this season. The 30-year-old has pretty much only been in the spotlight because of the contract holdout that lasted through late October.
The two-time Pro Bowler has appeared in three games for the Jets but has recorded just three tackles, three quarterback pressures and a half-sack. We're unlikely to see a substantial jump in production over the final eight weeks for a couple of reasons.
For one, Reddick skipped the entire offseason and nearly two months of the regular season while angling for a new contract. Realistically, he won't be in mid-season form until the end of the year.
Secondly, the Jets are a mess. Their offense is one of the league's worst, and their once-vaunted defense has taken a step backward since the firing of head coach Robert Saleh. There simply won't be many chances for Reddick to shine or to replicate the sort of production he had between 2020 and 2022—when he racked up an impressive 50.5 sacks.
Reddick needs to find a new home if he's going to again be one of the league's most productive sack artists. He could find it by returning to the team that drafted him, the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals have been surging thanks to some career-best play from quarterback Kyler Murray and an improving defense that could still use pass-rush help—Arizona acquired edge-defender Baron Browning from the Denver Broncos at the trade deadline.
Arizona also employs head coach Jonathan Gannon, who was Philadelphia's defensive coordinator during Reddick's career-best 16-sack campaign of 2022.
Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos
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Running back Javonte Williams is an outlier on this list, as he's the only player without a Pro Bowl on his NFL resume. However, the 2021 second-round pick looked like a future perennial all-star as a rookie, finishing with 1,219 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns despite making just a single start.
Unfortunately, Williams suffered tears to his ACL, LCL and PCL during his second season and hasn't returned to the spotlight since—much to the chagrin of any fantasy managers awaiting a breakout.
Williams was still returning to form in 2023, but he's also entered an odd backfield rotation under head coach Sean Payton over the past two years. While the 24-year-old still leads Denver in rushing attempts and rushing yards, Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estimé and quarterback Bo Nix have significantly cut into his rushing workload.
Putting another year between himself and the knee injury should help Williams recapture the juice he showcased as a rookie. To truly shine again, though, he'll need to find the high-volume workload he simply isn't going to get in Denver.
The Minnesota Vikings would be an ideal landing spot for Williams. Head coach Kevin O'Connell has regularly used his running backs as threats in the running and passing games—a role for which Williams is well-equipped.
In nine games this season, Aaron Jones has tallied 142 carries, 28 receptions, 911 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. He's well on his way to Pro Bowl-worthy numbers, though the soon-to-be 30-year-old is only under contract for this season.
Replacing Jones with Williams in the offseason would give Minnesota a young dual-threat back to pair with young signal-caller J.J. McCarthy and an impressive collection of pass-catchers. Joining the Vikings would allow Williams to be the every-down back he seemed destined to be at the start of his career.
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