There's a flurry of NFL activity in next week's forecast.
The NFL offseason is about to kick into high gear with the unofficial start of free agency, known as the legal tampering period. Teams will be allowed to start speaking with free agents from rival teams for a span of more than 48 hours before deals can officially be signed once the new league year begins.
Some big names who were projected to hit free agency have already been taken off the board. The Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs applied franchise tags to wideout Tee Higgins and guard Trey Smith, respectively, to prevent them from hitting the open market. The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, meanwhile, retained defensive studs Osa Odighizuwa and Zach Baun, respectively, with big-money, long-term pacts.
But there's still a long list of notable players without deals for next season and beyond, including Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Chris Godwin and Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland.
So, from the key dates to the top available players at each position and more, here's what to know about NFL free agency:
When is the legal tampering period in 2025 NFL free agency?
Teams are permitted to speak with pending free agents from rival clubs starting at 12 p.m. ET on Monday, March 10.
When does NFL free agency start in 2025?
The new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 12, which is when free agency officially begins and contracts can be signed.
What is the NFL salary cap in 2025?
The 2025 salary cap is set at $279.2 million, marking an increase of almost $24 million from last season.
Which NFL teams have the most salary cap space in 2025 free agency?
As of Friday afternoon, the New England Patriots lead the way by a wide margin in effective cap space at $117.3 million, according to figures from Over the Cap. New England is the only team above the $90 million mark in effective cap space.
The Los Angeles Chargers rank second in effective cap space at $83.3 million, with the Arizona Cardinals ($74.5 million), Washington Commanders ($74.1 million) and Las Vegas Raiders ($74 million) rounding out the top five.
The Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers, meanwhile, both have $60.5 million in space.
There are eight other teams with north of $40 million in space: the Dallas Cowboys ($49.9 million), Los Angeles Rams ($49.1 million), Detroit Lions ($48.5 million), Cincinnati Bengals ($48.3 million), New York Jets ($45.7 million), Chicago Bears ($45.2 million), Tennessee Titans ($42.3 million) and Jacksonville Jaguars ($41.3 million).
Who are the top NFL free agents in 2025?
Here's a position-by-position look at some of the best players hitting free agency and the team they played for in 2024:
Quarterbacks
Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings
Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets
Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers
Jameis Winston, Cleveland Browns
Jimmy Garoppolo, Los Angeles Rams
Daniel Jones, Minnesota Vikings
Zach Wilson, Denver Broncos
GALvanize reporter Tamara Brown speaks with NFL quarterback Jameis Winston at Opening Night of Super Bowl LIX to learn what Winston learned from his wife about being a reporter.
Running backs
Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings
Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
J.K. Dobbins, Los Angeles Chargers
Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys
Jamaal Williams, New Orleans Saints
Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles
Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins
Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs
Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
Ranking the best quarterback, running back duos of all time.
Wide receivers
Davante Adams, New York Jets
Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Amari Cooper, Buffalo Bills
Keenan Allen, Chicago Bears
Stefon Diggs, Houston Texans
Marquise Brown, Kansas City Chiefs
Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
Dyami Brown, Washington Commanders
Darius Slayton, New York Giants
DeAndre Hopkins, Kansas City Chiefs
Elijah Moore, Cleveland Browns
Diontae Johnson, Baltimore Ravens
Mike Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers
Tight ends
Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
Offensive tackles
Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens
Cam Robinson, Minnesota Vikings
Morgan Moses, New York Jets
Tyron Smith, New York Jets
Jedrick Wills, Cleveland Browns
George Fant, Seattle Seahawks
Dan Moore Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers
Offensive guards
Kevin Zeitler, Detroit Lions
Mekhi Becton, Philadelphia Eagles
Brandon Scherff, Jacksonville Jaguars
Aaron Banks, San Francisco 49ers
James Daniels, Pittsburgh Steelers
Patrick Mekari, Baltimore Ravens
Will Fries, Indianapolis Colts
Will Hernandez, Arizona Cardinals
Teven Jenkins, Chicago Bears
Centers
Drew Dalman, Atlanta Falcons
Ryan Kelly, Indianapolis Colts
Austin Corbett, Carolina Panthers
Coleman Shelton, Chicago Bears
Josh Myers, Green Bay Packers
Defensive tackles
Milton Williams, Philadelphia Eagles
Javon Hargrave, San Francisco 49ers
Levi Onwuzurike, Detroit Lions
Jonathan Allen, Washington Commanders
Jarran Reed, Seattle Seahawks
Tershawn Wharton, Kansas City Chiefs
B.J. Hill, Cincinnati Bengals
D.J. Jones, Denver Broncos
Calais Campbell, Miami Dolphins
Poona Ford, Los Angeles Chargers
Sebastian Joseph-Day, Tennessee Titans
Dre'Mont Jones, Seattle Seahawks
Defensive ends/EDGE
Josh Sweat, Philadelphia Eagles
Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers
Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers
Harold Landry, Tennessee Titans
Malcolm Koonce, Las Vegas Raiders
Dayo Odeyingbo, Indianapolis Colts
Azeez Ojulari, New York Giants
Demarcus Lawrence, Dallas Cowboys
Chase Young, New Orleans Saints
Haason Reddick, New York Jets
Matthew Judon, Atlanta Falcons
Baron Browning, Arizona Cardinals
Dante Fowler Jr., Washington Commanders
Chauncey Golston, Dallas Cowboys
Joseph Oassai, Cincinnati Bengals
Linebackers
Dre Greenlaw, San Francisco 49ers
Nick Bolton, Kansas City Chiefs
Jamien Sherwood, New York Jets
E.J. Speed, Indianapolis Colts
Robert Spillane, Las Vegas Raiders
Ernest Jones, Seattle Seahawks
Tyrel Dodson, Miami Dolphins
Kyzir White, Arizona Cardinals
Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Eric Kendricks, Dallas Cowboys
Divine Deablo, Las Vegas Raiders
Cornerbacks
Charvarius Ward, San Francisco 49ers
Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles
Carlton Davis, Detroit Lions
D.J. Reed, New York Jets
Byron Murphy, Minnesota Vikings
Mike Jackson, Carolina Panthers
Mike Hilton, Cincinnati Bengals
Stephon Gilmore, Minnesota Vikings
Rasul Douglas, Buffalo Bills
Paulson Adebo, New Orleans Saints
Jourdan Lewis, Dallas Cowboys
Kristian Fulton, Los Angeles Chargers
Asante Samuel Jr., Los Angeles Chargers
Nate Hobbs, Las Vegas Raiders
Safeties
Jevon Holland, Miami Dolphins
Justin Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
Camryn Bynum, Minnesota Vikings
Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco 49ers
Tre'von Moehrig, Las Vegas Raiders
Justin Simmons, Atlanta Falcons
Julian Blackmon, Indianapolis Colts
Jeremy Chinn, Washington Commanders
Xavier Woods, Carolina Panthers
Andre Cisco, Jacksonville Jaguars