Best Remaining 2025 NFL Free Agents Available Entering June

It may be the offseason, but the NFL is a perpetual motion machine. Something is always going on.

Right now, it's voluntary workouts, where folks can overreact to every throw a rookie quarterback makes and every veteran who decides not to show up.

This year's personnel carousel has slowed somewhat, though. We are well over two months into free agency, and the draft was over a month ago. For the most part, this year’s NFL rosters are set.

However, quite a few players remain without a team for 2025. Many are aging veterans closing in on the end of their careers, while some have injury concerns that have made suitors skittish.

Others have yet to match production to potential. And some vets are just waiting to sign so they can avoid heading to camp and daily practices for as long as possible.

Among them all, though, are a group of players who could still make a significant impact in the NFL in 2025. They are the best of what's left as the calendar turns to June.

Let's get to know them.

QB Aaron Rodgers

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

This one feels a little weird, if only because most people still believe Aaron Rodgers is going to join the Pittsburgh Steelers at some point.

However, the 41-year-old is still technically a free agent, so he has to get a spot here. After all, he is a four-time MVP and future Hall of Famer.

With that said, it has been a while since we saw Rodgers play at an MVP level. But while he may not be the player he once was, the guy who started all 17 games for the New York Jets last year wasn't awful, either.

In 2024, the 10-time Pro Bowler threw for 3,897 yards—good for eighth in the league. His 28 touchdown passes also ranked inside the top 10 and tied him with Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.

That was the good news. The bad news was that Rodgers ranked 22nd in air yards per attempt (6.78), 21st in passer rating (90.5) and 28th in QBR (48.0)—one spot behind Aidan O'Connell of the Las Vegas Raiders.

That the Steelers are seemingly willing to let the veteran QB take as much time as he wants before making a decision shows both how badly they feel they need his services and how few viable alternatives are out there.

For what it's worth, there is some precedent for a veteran QB signing late in the offseason and having success. In 2009, Brett Favre didn't join the Minnesota Vikings until mid-August. They went 12-4 and came within a game of the Super Bowl.

Just saying.

RB J.K. Dobbins

AP Photo/Maria Lysaker

When healthy, J.K. Dobbins has shown he can be an effective running back in the NFL.

Just this past season, he set a career high in rushing yards with the Los Angeles Chargers (905), averaging 4.6 yards per carry and 69.6 yards per game on the ground and tying a career best with nine scores on the ground.

The Chargers must have seen something they liked. They applied a rare UFA tender to the 26-year-old in the offseason. If he hasn't found a new team by the start of training camp, the Bolts will have exclusive negotiating rights.

However, given the Chargers signed Najee Harris in free agency and drafted Omarion Hampton 22nd overall, a reunion in L.A. would appear unlikely. The reason why isn't hard to spot: The whole "when healthy" part.

After showing promise as a rookie, Dobbins tore his ACL in the 2021 preseason and missed the entire campaign. The following year, knee injuries held him to eight games. The Ohio State product then tore his Achilles tendon in the season opener. Even last year, an MCL sprain cost him a month.

Over five seasons, he has missed more games than he has played in. And while 2024 was the best season of his career, NFL teams appear unwilling to sign a player with such an extensive injury history.

And if something doesn't give before camp opens, Dobbins could find himself buried on the Chargers' depth chart or even out of the league altogether.

WR Keenan Allen

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

You are going to notice something of a theme with many of the free agents in this column: By NFL standards, they are, um, old.

Last year with the Chicago Bears, it appeared that age might finally be catching up to Keenan Allen. The 33-year-old posted his fewest catches (70) and receiving yards (744) since missing nearly all of the 2016 campaign.

Just two years ago, though, he caught 108 passes, topped 1,200 yards and scored seven times for the Chargers. He matched that touchdown total last year in Chicago. He has five 100-catch seasons, six 1,000-yard campaigns and six Pro Bowls on his NFL resume.

Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton noted recently that the San Francisco 49ers would be well-advised to take a long look at the veteran.

"The San Francisco 49ers could open the season without Brandon Aiyuk, who is recovering from a torn ACL and MCL," he wrote. "According to general manager John Lynch, Demarcus Robinson might be subject to a three-week suspension.

"The 49ers signed Brock Purdy to a five-year, $265 million extension. As running back Christian McCaffrey ages, San Francisco's high-paid signal-caller must carry more of the offensive load, and to do that, he needs a full deck of pass-catchers.

"With the absence of Aiyuk and uncertainty around Robinson, Allen would be a solid fit to round out three-receiver sets alongside Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall. He's also an upgrade over Robinson and would allow the 49ers to slowly ease Aiyuk back into action."

The Niners aren't the only team that could use a veteran presence who can still move the chains and be a factor in the red zone.

Maybe Allen is just waiting for OTAs to pass before accepting an offer. He wouldn't be the first.

WR Amari Cooper

AP Photo/Adrian Kraus

Life comes at you fast in the NFL. Just ask Amari Cooper.

Entering the 2024 season, he was coming off a career-high 1,250 receiving yards with the Cleveland Browns and his fifth Pro Bowl. When the Buffalo Bills acquired him in a midseason trade, he was viewed as the kind of potential impact addition that could put them over the top.

Instead, Cooper went full Bermuda Triangle and disappeared, as Justin Fried of FanSided noted:

"In his 11 total games with the Bills (regular season and playoffs), Cooper had three or fewer catches in eight of them. His 13.8% drop rate and 39.1 Pro Football Focus drop grade ranked among the worst in the league. He also finished 106th out of 116 qualified receivers in ESPN’s overall receiver score. Cooper’s brief stint in Buffalo was especially underwhelming. Acquired midseason in a trade with the Browns, Cooper caught just 20 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns in eight regular-season games."

Even after the 30-year-old's vanishing act, it's surprising he hasn't found a new home. He's not that old and was considered a viable WR1 as recently as a year ago.

However, Cooper's next team will also be his fifth. And after making $20 million a season on his last contract, it's possible he has yet to receive an offer he feels befits his status.

Once he realizes his status right now is an aging receiver coming off a disastrous stint in Buffalo and playing on a one-year deal in 2025 and/or a team suffers an injury at the position, he should be scooped up.

And if Cooper can come close to recapturing his 2023 form, he will be a steal for the team that signs him.

OG Brandon Scherff

AP Photo/Gary McCullough

At this point in the offseason, the offensive linemen have been picked over and then some.

The top tackle available may well be Jedrick Wills, a 2020 first-round pick who was so bad in Cleveland that the Browns made no effort to re-up him. Most of the interior linemen left are aging veterans nearing the end of the line, and some are also coming off significant injuries.

Brandon Scherff is the former—by the time to 2025 season concludes, he will be 34. But after battling injuries over seven seasons in Washington, he played in all 51 games over his three-year stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

And Kyle Soppe of PFSN believes he was quietly one of the best pass-protecting guards in the league last year:

"Scherff played all 17 possible games for the third consecutive season after five straight seasons in which he missed at least three games every year. He didn't allow a single sack in 592 pass-blocking snaps last season. Among guards, only Trey Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs (665) had more pass-blocking snaps without allowing a sack."

Admittedly, the five-time Pro Bowler wasn’t as effective as a run-blocker a year ago—PFF graded him 97th among guards in that regard. But there’s a reason why he has been linked to a number of teams, including Super Bowl contenders such as the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.

The more depleted the available offensive linemen become, the better Scherff looks. And he's likely mulling multiple offers.

Edge Von Miller

AP Foto/Peter Aiken

Even by the standards of this column, Von Miller is old—he's 36 and was released by the Buffalo Bills in the offseason in a cap-cutting move.

However, while he may be getting older, he's not finished—and while he acknowledged to reporters that it feels weird to be teamless heading into the summer, he also made it clear he has every intention of playing in 2025:

"Offseason's been a little bit longer than I expected it to be, but that's just how it's supposed to be. Whenever you have all this time, you reminisce and you think back about all these OTAs and these summer training sessions where you're like, 'Man, why I gotta be here? Why I gotta be here? OTAs, why I gotta do this?' And now you're sitting at home like, 'Man, I wish I was at OTAs right now. I'm a locker-room guy through and through, and I can still roll out of the bed and rush the passer. That's what I got."

Obviously, Miller isn't the defensive force he once was—the MVP of Super Bowl 50 hasn’t logged 10 sacks in a season since posting 14.5 in 2018. But no active player in the NFL has more career sacks than his 129.5, and he got to the quarterback half-a-dozen times in just 279 snaps in Buffalo last year.

Miller is not an every-down player at this point in his career, but he can still be an effective situational pass-rusher.

The list of NFL teams that could use one of those isn't short. Look for Miller to latch on somewhere as we get closer to training camp.

Edge Matthew Judon

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

Not that long ago, Matthew Judon was one of the most productive edge-rushers in the game. In 2021 and 2022, he piled up 28 sacks for the New England Patriots and made his third and fourth Pro Bowls.

However, a biceps injury all but wiped out his 2023 season. And after being traded to Atlanta last offseason, his 2024 numbers were unimpressive: 41 tackles and 5.5 sacks, his fewest in a full season since his rookie year.

For his part, the 32-year-old believes he was misused in Atlanta and can still play, though he told Kyle Odegard of Card Player that he realizes the next chapter of his NFL career isn't in his control:

"If you go look at the film, I dropped (into coverage) on 60 percent of the plays. It's hard to get a pick and a sack on the same play.

"I think I can still [play]. But that's not up to me. I'm not a GM making that decision. I just have to be ready if and when my name is called.

"I'm open to whatever, I'll just have to weigh my options and see what comes down the pipe."

Usually, when a player grouses about usage, it should be met with a healthy amount of skepticism. But for whatever reason, Atlanta has long been the place where pass-rushers go to die.

It's probably going to be on a one-year "prove it" deal, but Judon should get a shot at redemption. There are too many teams that need help getting after the quarterback.

Don't be surprised if a change of scenery spurs a rebound campaign from the veteran.

LB Kyzir White

AP Photo/Jason Redmond

The NFL is a star-driven league. But while the big names may get the big bucks and the TV spots, every team also needs solid veteran contributors. Players who are capable of starting and playing quality football each and every week.

Players such as linebacker Kyzir White.

In seven NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals, the 29-year-old has never been named to a Pro Bowl. He's not the rangiest or most athletic player. His coverage skills are just adequate. In both of his seasons with the Redbirds, he allowed a passer rating against of over 90.

So, what makes the 2018 fourth-rounder the best remaining off-ball linebacker available in free agency?

For starters, experience. White has been a full-time starter inside in three of the past four seasons, including experience wearing the "green dot" helmet communicator and directing traffic defensively.

He has also been productive. In three of the past four years, White has eclipsed 100 total tackles. He has also been good for the occasional big play, registering 7.5 sacks and six career interceptions.

Off-ball linebackers have become somewhat devalued in recent seasons. But without a conductor, symphonies quickly descend into a cacophony of individual instruments instead of a combined melody.

There are a number of teams (including the Cardinals) that have potential major questions at inside linebacker.

At some point this summer, one (or more) of those clubs is going to realize a Steady Eddie-type like White is exactly what they need.

CB Rasul Douglas

AP Photo/Peter Aiken

Much like along the offensive line, the cornerback position looks like a $3 towel table on Black Friday—there ain't much left.

The players who are have some knock against them. Some are getting up there in age. Others haven't met expectations to this point in their careers. And others are coming off seasons they would rather forget.

For Rasul Douglas, that last one is the issue—his passer rating against of 122.0 last year was a career high, and he is struggling to find a new team after 24 games in Buffalo.

However, Zoltan Buday of Pro Football Focus singled out the 2017 third-rounder as a veteran player he expects to rebound in 2025:

"His underwhelming 2024 campaign may help explain why he remains unsigned. Douglas posted a 53.9 PFF overall grade, 102nd out of 116 qualifying cornerbacks, and his 51.6 coverage grade ranked 103rd.

"This performance resembled his early-career struggles in 2019 and 2020, but from 2021 to 2023, Douglas reestablished himself as one of the league's top cornerbacks. During that span, he ranked among the top 30 in PFF grade each season. His 83.0 overall grade over those three years ranked 10th at the position, while his 86.1 coverage grade ranked eighth. He also allowed a passer rating of just 61.2, second-best among 121 qualifying cornerbacks during that period.

"Despite his disappointing 2024 season, Douglas' recent track record and the fact that he turns just 30 at the start of the season make him a strong bounce-back candidate for any team needing veteran cornerback help."

If the 6'2", 209-pounder can bounce back to being the quality starter at a premium position he has shown he can be, the team that takes a chance on him could land one of free agency's bigger bargains of 2025.

S Justin Simmons

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

Matthew Judon isn't the only veteran defender who would probably like a mulligan on his lone season as a member of the Atlanta Falcons.

After eight standout seasons in Denver that included two Pro Bowls, three second-team All-Pro nods and 30 interceptions, Justin Simmons joined Atlanta in free agency last year. The results were…less than impressive.

His 62 tackles were his fewest since his rookie year, and his two interceptions tied a career low.

Now, the 31-year-old is again looking for work. And while appearing on the Talkin’ Ball podcast, he said he has a wish list for his next team—and a reunion with former Broncos head coach Vic Fangio in Philadelphia tops it.

"Man, having a chance to reunite with Vic, and then also defensive backs [coach] Christian Parker," he said. "There's a lot of good things about Philly. To have an opportunity to go play in Philly, especially reuniting with [those guys], it's high on the list."

Simmons also told the Up & Adams podcast that the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals are teams he would have interest in.

All three of those teams have some degree of need at the safety position. Simmons' 32 career picks ranks fourth among all active players and his 81.9 passer rating against last year in Atlanta shows he hasn't lost his coverage chops.

Don't be surprised when Simmons winds up on one of those contenders, especially if a youngster like rookie Andrew Mukuba struggles to adjust to the NFL with the Eagles.