Buying or Selling the Latest NFL Rumors a Month Ahead of the 2025 Draft
We're three weeks into free agency, and the 2025 NFL draft is less than a month away. This means, of course, that we've reached the point in the offseason when the stream of rumors is larger than the list of noteworthy developments.
Some big-name free agents remain unsigned, and many teams have already turned their focus to the draft. It's smokescreen season, however. No one will be upfront about their plans.
Here, we'll dive into some of the latest NFL rumors and determine which can be believed and which are likely smoke with the draft one month away.
Buy: Aaron Rodgers Is More Likely to Join Steelers Than Not
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Aaron Rodgers may no longer be an elite quarterback, but he's the biggest name still available on the open market. He's been weighing his options for the 2025 season, and his decision will undoubtedly have ripple effects.
Rodgers has drawn interest from the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants, two teams that could draft a quarterback next month and/or still pivot to quarterback Russell Wilson.
However, Rodgers visited with the Steelers on Friday, and rumors suggest that he'll eventually land in Pittsburgh for more than a meeting. One source recently told ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio that it's a "safe bet" that Rodgers eventually signs with the Steelers.
This certainly feels accurate, and for a couple of reasons. For one, if Rodgers wants to play for a contender next season, Pittsburgh might be his only option. The Giants aren't expected to be particularly good, and the Vikings are no longer interested in adding Rodgers as a potential bridge to J.J. McCarthy, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
Secondly, Rodgers is the best remaining option for Pittsburgh. The Steelers brought back Mason Rudolph, but he should be viewed as insurance. If they were sold on Wilson, he'd already be back in the Black and Gold.
Plus, according to Pelissero, the Steelers and Rodgers have had contract parameters in place "for weeks."
Nothing can be guaranteed with Rodgers, who could simply choose to retire, but it does seem likely that he'll be under center for the Steelers in Week 1.
Buy: Giants Are Still in Play for Russell Wilson
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Wilson, who made the Pro Bowl as an alternate last season, looms as a Plan C for the Steelers—they initially wanted to bring back Justin Fields, but only at "their price," according to The Athletic's Mike DeFabo.
Wilson has also met with the Giants and Cleveland Browns this offseason, so he has options. If he'd prefer a return to Pittsburgh, though, he may be waiting until the Rodgers domino falls before picking his next team.
Despite signing Jameis Winston on Friday, the Giants reportedly hope that Wilson will choose them.
According to Florio, New York views Winston as a backup and still wants to add a veteran starter this offseason.
"They are as much/more looking for a veteran starter than the Browns, definitely more than Vikings,” a source told Florio.
We can buy this one too. While the Giants met with Wilson last offseason and didn't sign him, they were still trying to make it work with Daniel Jones. They've given up on that plan and jettisoned Jones during the 2024 season.
Head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen also need to win now—franchise owner John Mara has said that he's nearly "out of patience"—something they may struggle to do with a rookie quarterback.
And Winston's two-year, $8 million contract doesn't suggest that New York views him as the answer. That's a mid-level backup contract, meaning the Giants aren't done adding to their quarterback room.
Daboll and Schoen may still opt for a quarterback early in the draft, possibly as high as third overall. If Wilson can still be had, though, they'll gladly accept him.
Sell: Titans Haven't Made Decision on No. 1 Draft Choice
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While plenty of veteran QB drama has yet to unfold, plenty of eyes are on the top two quarterbacks in the 2025 draft class: Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders.
The Tennessee Titans need a new franchise quarterback and are equipped with the No. 1 pick in the draft. However, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on SportsCenter that the Titans haven't made a "firm determination" on what they'll do with the top selection.
Fowler also suggested that the Titans "would love to trade back and still get a top quarterback that they want."
This one's hard to buy for two reasons. For one, the Titans don't have a clear-cut starter on their roster. 2023 second-round pick Will Levis has largely flopped at every opportunity, and the only quarterback Tennessee has added in free agency is career backup Brandon Allen.
If the Titans didn't plan to draft a quarterback, they'd have been more aggressive in their pursuit of a veteran starter.
Secondly, Ward appears to have separated himself from Sanders and the rest of the 2025 QB class, according to Fowler. The Miami product is the top quarterback on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's big board because of his elite traits and upside.
Fowler has also reported that there is a "sense around the league" that there is "some momentum" behind Tennessee preferring Ward.
If Ward is the top quarterback on the Titans' board, there really isn't an option for them to trade down and still get their preferred quarterback. The Browns and Giants own the second and third overall picks, respectively, and will almost assuredly snap up Ward if he is available.
Could Tennessee get an offer it can't refuse? It's possible, but it's more likely that the Titans know exactly what they're going to do on the draft's opening night. They'll take Ward, and they'll let other teams sift through the rest of the 2025 QB class.
Buy: Shedeur Sanders' Floor Is Likely Seventh Overall
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While Ward may be a full tier above Sanders, both are likely to go early in Round 1. The NFL has a significant imbalance in the supply and demand of signal-callers, which places a premium on the position in the draft.
According to ESPN's Jordan Reid, Sanders is unlikely to fall further than the New York Jets' seventh overall selection.
"Based on what I'm hearing, the Jets' No. 7 pick is still the floor for Sanders," Reid wrote.
That's quite a shift from the buzz that surrounded Sanders coming out of the NFL Scouting Combine. One anonymous coach called the Colorado prospect "arrogant," according to NFL insider Josina Anderson. Others questioned Sanders' physical upside.
"Shedeur doesn't have a top-shelf NFL arm. He isn't a great athlete. There are a lot of teams that do not view him as a first-round pick," Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer said in a video he posted on X (beginning at the 24-second mark).
While some teams may not view Sanders as a first-round talent, it's hard to imagine him slipping past the Jets, who are taking a chance on Fields but may not view him as a long-term solution.
As previously mentioned, the Browns and Giants are also in the quarterback market, and the Las Vegas Raiders (sixth pick) could consider Sanders as an eventual replacement for trade acquisition Geno Smith.
And Sanders appears to be the clear-cut No. 2 quarterback in the 2025 class. While he doesn't possess Ward's ceiling, he also has an intriguing NFL floor.
"He is a high-floor prospect with a good enough ceiling to buy into," Dame Parson of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "With his experience and the challenges he has faced, he is worth betting on."
Don't expect Sanders to fall out of the top 10 on opening night.
Buy: Jaxson Dart Getting 'First-Round Buzz'
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Sanders and Ward are the only first-round-caliber prospects in this year's class, according to the B/R Scouting Department, but they may not be the only quarterbacks to go on opening night.
We routinely see quarterbacks land in the first round, even if their talent level doesn't justify going that high. That could be the case with Mississippi's Jaxson Dart this year, according to Fowler.
Fowler said on SportsCenter that Dart has gotten "first-round buzz" from some NFL teams.
"They don't necessarily think that he is a surefire first-round talent based on their grades, but they could certainly talk themselves into it," Fowler said.
It's not hard to believe that some teams would consider taking Dart in the first round. He's the fourth-ranked quarterback on the B/R board—behind Ward, Sanders and Ohio State's Will Howard—but has an intriguing blend of size (6'2", 223 lbs) and arm talent.
While teams picking late in the draft order typically aren't in the quarterback market, teams like Pittsburgh (21st pick) and the Los Angeles Rams (26th) could flip the switch on a QB pick.
At some point, the Rams will need to find an heir to 37-year-old quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Steelers can't view Rodgers as a long-term option.
We could also see a team trade back into Round 1 to secure the fifth-year option for their quarterback. If the Browns, Giants, Raiders, Jets or New Orleans Saints (ninth pick) don't take a quarterback in the top 10, they could be strong candidates to move back into the first round.
None of this means that Dart will go in the first round, but it's not at all outlandish to believe that he could.
Sell: Trey Hendrickson Could Sit Out 2025 Season Without New Contract
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While most of the current NFL buzz is quarterback-centric, star Cincinnati Bengals pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson remains a buzz-worthy topic. He's seeking a new deal and has watched the Bengals give extensions to wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. He's also been granted permission to seek a trade.
Fowler reported last week that Hendrickson could sit out the 2025 season without a new contract.
"I think it's entirely possible, based on what I'm hearing, for him to sit out the year if he doesn't get a new deal," Fowler said on SportsCenter. "I think that's his mindset right now."
While Hendrickson could threaten to sit out the season, it's highly unlikely he'd actually do it. This is because the 30-year-old is scheduled to be a free agent in 2026 but can't actually reach free agency without logging an accrued season.
Under NFL rules, a player must spend "six or more regular season games on a club's active/inactive, reserve/injured or reserve/physically unable to perform lists" to earn an accrued season.
Last year, we saw Jets pass-rusher Haason Reddick sit out regular-season games while seeking a new contract. However, he eventually reported, appeared in 10 games and reached free agency in the offseason.
It's equally unlikely that Hendrickson won't eventually get a substantial raise from Cincinnati or find himself with a new team. According to Fowler, teams have shown interest in acquiring the reigning sacks leader but haven't been willing to meet Cincinnati's asking price and Hendrickson's contract demands.
That could change after the draft if a team in need of pass-rushing help doesn't land a top defensive prospect. There's also a non-zero chance that the Bengals simply meet Hendrickson's contract demands.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport recently told The Pat McAfee Show (h/t James Rapien of SI.com) that the Bengals are "working" on a new deal with Hendrickson.
Buy: Kirk Cousins Willing to Wait Until After the Draft to be Traded
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Hendrickson isn't the only player circulating the trade-rumor mill. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins also looms as a trade candidate, though it's unlikely that he'll be dealt ahead of the draft.
"Cousins has already signaled to teams that he would likely want to wait to see what happens over draft weekend before accepting a trade," Breer wrote on Monday.
There's a slim chance that this could be smoke coming from someone in Cousins' camp. Atlanta may prefer to deal its $40 million backup before the draft, and Cousins might be trying to push for his release—a move that is extremely unlikely after his $10 million 2026 bonus became guaranteed earlier this month.
However, it's more likely that Cousins really is willing to wait until after the draft to consider waiving his no-trade clause. That's because the 36-year-old is in his current position because he signed with the Falcons only to see them use a first-round pick on Michael Penix Jr.
The Falcons turned the page to Penix before the end of his rookie season.
Several of the teams that could have interest in Cousins now—Cleveland is the most logical, as head coach Kevin Stefanski's time with the Minnesota Vikings' overlapped with Cousins'—could take a quarterback early in Round 1. If Cousins is hoping to land a guaranteed starting job for more than a season, he won't want to be paired with another first-round rookie.
This means that waiting is Cousins' best course of action. If a fit he likes doesn't emerge after the draft, he can always wait a little longer. An injury to another team's starter could always open a new door, and Atlanta will almost certainly release Cousins next offseason even if it pays him handsomely to hold a clipboard this year.
Cutting Cousins in 2026 would save Atlanta $12.5 million in cap space. He'll be with a new team a year from now. He probably won't find a new home before April 24.
*Contract information via Spotrac.
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