Eight intriguing names to watch in early days of NFL off-season

A new Super Bowl champion has been crowned, and celebrations continue in Philadelphia and beyond as the Eagles savour their Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. 

But as the last of the green confetti falls, we can’t help but turn our attention to what comes next. 

The off-season is here, and while it’s already a month old for most teams, and there’s still a month until the new league year officially opens, anyone not already thinking about next season is probably already behind.  

The NFL stops for no one.

With that in mind, we’re taking a look around the league at some intriguing names making early headlines, and those would bring up some interesting storylines as we dip our toes in the off-season on both the trade market and in free agency. 

Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns: The first overall pick of the 2017 draft was supposed to be the cornerstone defender around which the Browns built themselves into a contender… and they almost got there, if not for their disastrous acquisition of Deshaun Watson that mortgaged the team’s future and sent the franchise in the wrong direction.

Now, following last week’s news of Garrett’s trade request, Cleveland faces a fascinating conundrum. Letting one of the greatest pass-rushers of this generation leave your clubhouse for a contender is a tough pill to swallow, albeit sweetened by the hefty return you’d get in return — a return that would surely kickstart yet another rebuild. Browns brass has reportedly insisted they’re not about to trade him, but it’s a long off-season. How will this end? And what’s the going rate for a franchise-altering pass-rusher on the trade block? There are more than a few contenders who should be calling (we’re looking at you, Buffalo!).

Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals’ days of dressing Higgins, a WR1-calibre weapon who dresses as No. 2 alongside Ja’Marr Chase in Cincinnati, are likely coming to an end. Quarterback Joe Burrow has made no secret of his hopes for the front office to retain one of his top guys, and Higgins himself has expressed a desire to stay, but the Bengals’ off-season to-do list is long — and it includes Chase, a top priority. While the cap space exists to re-sign both weapons, the 2024 season revealed a roster that needs to focus on the other side of the ball. Can they do it all? 

Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers: News broke over the weekend of the 49ers’ dynamic wide receiver requesting a fresh start elsewhere, teeing up another off-season in San Francisco dominated by speculation at the wide receiver position. The club’s signing of Brandon Aiyuk late last summer set the stage for a potential parting with Samuel this spring, and the club’s long-approaching cap crunch is here. Early reports suggest Pittsburgh’s a contender to land Samuel — not surprising, considering they were reportedly among the top teams interested in Aiyuk last summer — and the Denver Broncos are an intriguing option, too. (We all know Sean Payton loves a multi-threat weapon on offence!) Samuel’s got a $15-million bonus baked into his contract due in March, which suggests this situation won’t bleed into the summer like Aiyuk’s did. 

Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams: Paired with some uncertainty surrounding the future of Matthew Stafford in L.A. is the recent news that the team intends to trade away one of the veteran quarterback's top weapons.

The breakout play of fellow receiver Puka Nakua, and the Rams’ early-season struggles, had the club looking poised to part ways with Kupp earlier this season had L.A. not started winning just ahead of the trade deadline. But their run to the post-season only delayed Kupp’s departure, the club informing him last week they’ll be seeking a trade to send him out of market. Kupp is a fascinating case — his game was so closely tailored to the Rams’ offence, so it’s hard to know if he can replicate the same kind of success elsewhere. In a social media post, Kupp described himself as “Highly motivated, as healthy as ever, and looking forward to playing elite football for years to come.” His journey isn’t over, and considering the pressing needs of a certain other L.A. team that happens to share a home with the Rams… maybe Kupp won’t need to move too far to find his new home. Could the Chargers be a fit?

Sam Darnold, QB, Minnesota Vikings: You could almost see his contract value drop a digit with each and every sack and misplay during the Vikings’ steep fall from grace on Wild Card Weekend. But while Darnold struggled on the big stage, there’s a lot to be said for bringing in a quarterback that can get you there in the first place. Darnold was a perfect fit in Minnesota, but he wasn’t part of the succession plan. How confident are the Vikings in 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy? 

Unlike the past few seasons, which have seen big names take a spin on the QB carousel, the quarterback market is looking relatively shallow this spring, and the consensus on the draft class is that it’s not a particularly strong year for QBs entering the league that way, either. How teams approach Darnold — as well as other free agents like Steelers' Russell Wilson and Justin Fields — will be interesting to watch. 

Speaking of interesting quarterbacks…

Aaron Rodgers, QB, New York Jets: It could’ve worked out in New York, had it not been for the ruptured Achilles suffered just four snaps into his debut in 2023. The Rodgers we saw join the Jets one year later was a far cry from the one we speculated was the missing piece to New York’s Super Bowl-sized puzzle. 

Now, with news that the Jets are looking to move on from the veteran after a disastrous campaign on just about every level, Rodgers once again faces an off-season of change. Have we seen the last of him in an NFL lineup? The list of interested parties is likely short, though long on intrigue. Might the Steelers continue their QB experiment and bring in another short-term answer? Rodgers’ stock dropped considerably last season. He’s earned the right to be choosey with his destination and to take his time with his decision about whether he calls it a career. 

Josh Sweat, DE, Philadelphia Eagles: After watching the Eagles’ front four dismantle Kansas City’s hopes of a three-peat, the value of top pass-rushers has never been more obvious. And Sweat’s stock has never been higher. One game won’t make or break your value on the open market, but with 2.5 sacks and a handful of tackles as one of the best defenders on the Super Bowl LIX field on Sunday, it’s hard to see the list of potential suitors not growing after that game.

The 27-year-old is one of a handful of big-name defenders hitting free agency — a list that includes a few of his Eagles teammates, including fellow edge rusher Milton Williams, who’s due a massive raise as he comes off his rookie contract. If the Eagles can’t keep him, Sweat would be a perfect fit on a contender with a strong supporting cast of pass-rushers. Watching him wreak havoc on the Lions’ front line would be fun. Sweat won’t set a new market at the position, but how teams approach him should tell us a lot about the demand and going rate for pass-rushers in their prime right now. 

Zack Baun, LB, Philadelphia Eagles: Speaking of Eagles defenders hitting the market… Baun was one of the best stories of the 2024 season, plucked from the depths of free agency following four forgettable years in New Orleans and given the opportunity to thrive as a surprise centrepiece of the league’s best defence. Sensational jack-of-all-trade linebackers don’t land in your lap too often, which means the Eagles would be wise to try to keep him in-house. But considering just how sky-high Baun’s value is after his breakout season, it’ll be tough to outbid defence-needy contenders.