NFL free agency: 11 players who deserve big-money deals after strong 2025 seasons

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We’re nearing the end of another great NFL season. That means it’s once again time to examine which players have earned themselves a big payday in free agency.

This is Year 4 of this exercise. In the first edition, I hit on five quarterbacks who signed lucrative extensions. In Year 2, 12 of the 13 players I spotlighted signed massive contracts, and last year, eight of nine inked big-money deals, with running back Rico Dowdle the only one who didn’t get a multi-year contract (he should in free agency this time around). I’m taking another crack at it this year. A couple things to note …

First, all of the players featured below are unrestricted free agents in March. And second, you won’t see established veterans like Trey Hendrickson, Joey Bosa and Kevin Byard in this rundown. Though those guys are still playing at a high level, teams typically don’t hand out BIG, multi-year contracts to players past their primes (i.e., thirtysomethings). They will get signed, just maybe not at the level of those on this list.

Without further ado, here are 11 impending free agents who deserve fat new contracts in 2026.

Willis is the next quarterback in line to earn a second starting opportunity after spending a transitional phase developing under an excellent offensive coach and play-caller (Matt LaFleur). Willis was an erratic signal-caller with the Titans, completing just 53 percent of his throws during his two seasons in Nashville, but he has morphed into an efficient passer in Green Bay. Completing 78.7 percent of his throws over 11 games (three starts) with the Packers, Willis consistently distributed the ball to his weapons, took what the defense gave him and was a legitimate threat as a runner and playmaker outside the pocket. In other years, a guy like Willis might not be that highly sought-after, but it’s not a deep draft class at the position, and there aren’t a lot of high-quality options in free agency. Regardless, Willis has shown enough improvement to merit another shot. The perfect landing spot? Reuniting with the Dolphins’ new power couple, general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley, who were both with Willis in Green Bay.

Maturity issues aside, Pickens’ on-field production is hard to ignore. After getting traded to Dallas last offseason, he proved he can succeed as a No. 1 receiver and as part of a dynamic receiving tandem alongside       CeeDee Lamb       , who missed three games due to injury. Pickens established a rapport with       Dak Prescott       early on and ended the campaign with five games of 130-plus receiving yards. That led to Pickens posting career highs in targets (137), catches (93), receiving yards (1,429) and touchdowns (nine), ultimately getting his first Pro Bowl bid. The big-bodied wideout has earned a major payday, but given the character concerns, it’s a buyer-beware situation.

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