NFL Free Agents Who Could Become Superstars on New Teams in 2025

NFL teams can find untapped potential in free agency, as players may be ready to blossom into stardom in a situation that allows them to take full advantage of opportunities.

This offseason, clubs may be able to find the next quarterback who can put together a comeback story that's similar to Baker Mayfield's 2023 season or Sam Darnold's breakout 2024 campaign.

After watching 2024 rushing champion Saquon Barkley bring respect back to the running back position, teams may be willing to pay a premium for an underrated ball-carrier coming off his best season.

A couple of edge-rushers who have battled injuries recently can make the most of starting roles while healthy.

Check out six impending free agents who could become superstar playmakers with new teams next season. None of the selections below have All-Pro or Pro Bowl accolades.

Rico Dowdle could've been a breakout star running back this past season, but the Dallas Cowboys split his workload with Ezekiel Elliott for more than half of the campaign.

Before Week 12, Dowdle logged 20-plus carries in one game. In four of the last six weeks, he recorded 20-plus rush attempts and racked up 104 or more rushing yards in three of those outings.

Despite a slow start to the season, Dowdle still tied for 12th in rushing yards (1,079), averaging 4.6 yards per carry. On top of that, he showed three-down potential, hauling in 39 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns.

Ironically, Dallas would be a logical spot for Dowdle to become a superstar behind a quality offensive line, but if the team isn't willing to feature him in a workhorse role, he's better off with a squad that needs a clear-cut No. 1 running back like the Las Vegas Raiders.

Because of his versatile skill set, Dowdle could be one of the league's top running backs in a featured role despite having only 331 NFL carries on his resume.

If the Pittsburgh Steelers don't re-sign Justin Fields, another team will likely give him a shot to become a starter.

Through his first three seasons with the Chicago Bears, Fields struggled with his accuracy, completing less than 61 percent of his passes. On the flip side, he put his dynamic playmaking ability on full display, rushing for 2,220 yards and 14 touchdowns. In his second campaign, he broke Michael Vick's record for rushing yards in a game.

Of course, in the NFL, quarterbacks must use their arms to beat defenses from the pocket and do so efficiently to hold on to starting jobs.

Well, last season with the Steelers, Fields made strides with his accuracy, completing a career-high 65.8 percent of his passes. He accomplished that feat in a small sample size, playing in 10 contests (six starts), but it's an encouraging development for a signal-caller who's only 25 years old with room for growth.

Remember, Pittsburgh won four out of six outings with Fields as their starting quarterback. He threw for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns and an interception and rushed for 289 yards and five touchdowns.

Over the past two years, Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold have played their best seasons when paired with quality offensive play-callers. Fields can do the same while adding another dimension to a team's ground attack.

Perhaps Fields can be a Jalen Hurts-type player for a club targeting a dual-threat quarterback. Fields would be a more significant threat with his legs, though. He'll draw interest from multiple quarterback-needy teams.

One can make the case that Tee Higgins will be the No. 1 free agent if the Cincinnati Bengals allow him to test the open market.

For four out of five seasons, Higgins has played in the shadow of star wideout Ja'Marr Chase, who's an All-Pro and receiving triple-crown winner. Chase also had a rapport with quarterback Joe Burrow, which dates back to their collegiate years at LSU.

Before the Bengals drafted Chase, Higgins caught 67 passes for 908 yards and six touchdowns in 2020. By the way, Burrow missed seven games with a torn ACL and MCL that year.

With Chase heavily involved in the Bengals' aerial attack, Higgins recorded 1,029-plus yards in back-to-back terms and 13 touchdown receptions in total between 2021 and 2022. He dealt with injuries that impacted his production in 2023 but bounced back with 73 catches for 911 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns this past season.

If Higgins has a chance to pick his next destination, he should sign with a team with a quality quarterback in a stable situation. In that setting as the No. 1 receiving option, he could post Pro Bowl-level receiving numbers.

Azeez Ojulari has tremendous potential, but he must stay healthy to reach his peak. After suiting up for every game in his 2021 rookie campaign, he's missed 22 contests.

Ojulari has recorded 66 pressures, 22 sacks and 21 tackles for loss in four seasons. He's recorded those numbers in a rotational role off the edge.

Because of Ojulari's injury history, teams may be hesitant to utilize him in a full-time starting role (playing more than three-quarters of the defensive snaps), though he can still be an effective pass-rusher who racks up eye-popping sack numbers and makes game-winning plays.

In New York, Ojulari is unlikely to surpass two-time Pro Bowl edge-rusher Brian Burns or 2022 first-rounder Kayvon Thibodeaux on the depth chart. If he wants to see more time on the field in a healthy campaign, he must go elsewhere.

If Ojulari can stay off the injury report, he could be one of the missing roster pieces for a playoff team or significantly boost a lackluster pass rush.

After two forgettable seasons, Malcolm Koonce made his presence felt off the edge in 2023, recording 23 pressures, eight sacks and nine tackles for loss. That year, he started in 11 out of 17 outings as Maxx Crosby's bookend pass-rushing partner.

In the last four weeks of the 2023 term, Koonce recorded six sacks. The 26-year-old looked prime for a full breakout in 2024, but he suffered a season-ending knee injury during a September practice before Week 1.

The Las Vegas Raiders drafted Koonce under former general manager Mike Mayock and former head coach Jon Gruden. Two regimes later, under incoming general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll, he may not be a priority re-signing candidate.

The Raiders still need a bookend pass-rusher to complement Crosby. So, Koonce could pick up where he left off in Las Vegas, but if not, he has the potential to blossom into a double-digit sack defender with a new team.

Having missed an entire season, Koonce will probably need to knock off some rust, but as he showed late in 2023, he can rack up sacks in bunches while in a groove on the edge.

The Dallas Cowboys have key defensive players whose deals are expiring or who may want to extend their contracts this offseason.

If the Cowboys retain defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and sign Micah Parsons to a lucrative extension, they may not have enough resources to re-sign Osa Odighizuwa. Dallas is currently $2.8 million over the salary-cap threshold, per Over the Cap.

The Cowboys could focus on developing 2023 first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith, which could make Odighizuwa expendable or cut into his playing time.

Though Odighizuwa hasn't proven to be a consistent game-wrecker on the interior, he has the potential to develop into one with enough opportunities.

Last season, Odighizuwa played a career-high 78 percent of the defensive snaps and logged career highs in sacks (4.5) and pressures (33).

Odighizuwa must improve against the run to increase his tackles for loss, but he has shown the ability to get into the backfield, recording 17 tackles for loss between 2022 and 2023.

If the Cowboys let Odighizuwa walk in free agency, he should be a prime target for a team that wants a stronger push up the middle on passing downs. As a budding interior pass-rusher, the 26-year-old could see a massive pay raise and become a household name.

NFL team salary cap and player contract information are provided by Over the Cap.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.