Grading 2025 NFL Free Agency Contracts You Might Have Missed Over The Weekend

The onset of the NFL's new league year brought with it a flurry of player movement. While things cooled a bit following the legal tampering period, this past weekend featured a handful of transactions that will impact the NFL landscape.

Several big names, including a pair of Triple Crown-winning receivers, signed new deals over the last few days. Other teams made trades to add depth, free up cap space or secure additional draft picks.

With that in mind, read on for a recap of the weekend's action and grades for the biggest moves.

Contract terms: Three years, $45 million (per ESPN's Adam Schefter)

Cooper Kupp became one of the more intriguing free agents available after the Los Angeles Rams released him last week. It didn't take long for the former Triple Crown winner to find a new home, as the Seattle Seahawks pounced with a contract offer worth $15 million annually.

While the cap-flush Seahawks had plenty of room to bring Kupp aboard, the move doesn't make much sense for a team that seemed to be trending toward a rebuild at the start of the offseason.

Seattle opened the league year by parting ways with core offensive pieces like Geno Smith, Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, the latter of whom is four years younger than Kupp and has been far more consistent throughout his NFL career.

Kupp will now augment Jaxon Smith-Njigba—Seattle's breakout star last year—as the No. 2 option for new quarterback Sam Darnold. While the veteran could get back to an All-Pro level, Kupp has missed 18 games over the last three years and hasn't eclipsed 812 receiving yards in any of those seasons.

Given Kupp's age, injury woes and regression, this move seems to be a misstep for a Seahawks squad lacking clear direction.

Grade: C-

Contract: Two years, $20 million (per ESPN's Adam Schefter)

Mekhi Becton parlayed a career year with the Philadelphia Eagles into a $20 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. It's the latest step in the 2020 first-round pick's comeback arc following a rough stretch with the New York Jets.

Becton instantly shores up perhaps the biggest weak point on the Chargers' roster. The team had a massive hole on the interior of its offensive trenches and had yet to address it until signing the 6'7", 363-pound lineman.

While Becton started his career as a tackle to mixed results, the Eagles got the most out of him by moving him inside to right guard. Becton went on to start 15 games for the Super Bowl champions, giving up just three sacks in 903 snaps while earning a solid 75.2 Pro Football Focus grade.

Becton also established himself as a key run-blocker for a unit that helped Saquon Barkley rack up a league-high 2,005 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns en route to the Offensive Player of the Year award.

Becton is expected to continue at guard for the Bolts on this new deal. His presence should help keep star quarterback Justin Herbert upright and pave lanes for fellow free-agent pickup Najee Harris.

Grade: A

Contract: Two years, $8 million (per ESPN's Adam Schefter)

At first, it seemed like Kyle Juszczyk would be another casualty in the San Francisco 49ers' frenzy of cap-saving maneuvers to open the 2025 offseason.

While Juszczyk did hit the open market after his deal expired—and reportedly received an offer for more money from the Pittsburgh Steelers, per ESPN—he and the Niners ultimately came to terms on a new contract. The decision helped stem some of the upheaval this club has experienced in recent weeks.

Juszczyk has been a foundational piece for San Francisco ever since he arrived in the Bay Area at the start of the Kyle Shanahan era in 2017. He's gone on to make the Pro Bowl every season since, including last year when he had 226 yards and three touchdowns from scrimmage on just 24 total touches.

Although Juszczyk isn't a major playmaker, his ability to contribute as both a runner and pass-catcher in addition to being a lead blocker for superstar back Christian McCaffrey helps unlock Shanahan's offense. Having him back for the next two seasons will bring some much-needed stability to this system.

Grade: A

Chase contract: Four years, $161 million

Higgins contract: Four years, $115 million (per FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz)

The Cincinnati Bengals are now set for the foreseeable future at wide receiver.

The organization not only put an end to the longstanding contractual drama with Tee Higgins—who had been franchise-tagged in each of the last two offseasons—but also managed to avoid a similar situation with superstar Ja'Marr Chase.

Chase unsurprisingly inked the larger contract, agreeing to a four-year, $161 million deal that sets a new record for annual salary at a non-quarterback position. Higgins wasn't too far behind, as he inked a four-year, $115 million deal to remain in Cincinnati alongside Chase through the 2028 campaign.

Cincinnati is positioned to build on an incredible offensive performance last season. Chase was downright dominant in 2024, becoming just the fifth player since the NFL-AFL merger to win a receiving Triple Crown. Higgins' numbers weren't as impressive, but he was a critical piece for a passing attack that led the league with an eye-popping 272.9 yards per game and racked up 43 touchdowns through the air.

With quarterback Joe Burrow putting up career-best numbers as well and gaining the stability within the receiving corps he was pushing for, there's no ceiling on Cincinnati's passing attack over the next few years.

Grade: A+

Contract: Two years, $12 million (per ESPN's Adam Schefter)

Trade: Vikings receive RB Jordan Mason, 2025 sixth-round pick (No. 187 overall); 49ers receive 2025 fifth-round pick (No. 160 overall), 2026 sixth-round pick

The Minnesota Vikings look deep at running back following their acquisition of Jordan Mason.

While the Vikings didn't need an RB1 after they retained incumbent starter Aaron Jones on a two-year deal, they've added a fantastic insurance option in Mason. All it cost them was a fifth-round pick, a swap of sixth-rounders and a new two-year, $12 million deal for Mason.

Mason fared well for the San Francisco 49ers last year while filling in for an injured Christian McCaffrey. He started six of the first seven games in 2024 and worked in a backup role for the remainder of the campaign until suffering a season-ending injury in Week 13.

Prior to going down with a high-ankle sprain, Mason had put up 789 yards and three touchdowns on 153 totes—a steady average of 5.2 yards per carry.

Mason's absence could hurt a Niners squad that now lacks a clear insurance policy behind McCaffrey, who has missed significant time throughout his career and is entering his age-29 season. The team does still have Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor Jr. on the roster, but neither impressed much in limited action last year.

The biggest win for the Niners was avoiding a $5.3 million cap hit due to the restricted tender placed on Mason earlier this offseason. San Francisco also has an extra pick it can utilize to address the position in the upcoming draft, making this a potential win for both sides.

Vikings Grade: B

49ers Grade: B-

Contract: Two years, up to $12.2 million (per ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler)

The Baltimore Ravens have a new No. 2 quarterback in Cooper Rush.

The team made a shrewd move to scoop the experienced backup off the open market, although Baltimore will be hoping that Rush doesn't do much more than hold a clipboard during his tenure in Charm City.

Rush has a decent amount of experience from his seven-year tenure with the Dallas Cowboys. He got plenty of run last year after Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending injury, throwing for 1,844 yards and 12 touchdowns against five interceptions while going 4-4 in the eight games he started.

That was the most action Rush has seen thus far, as 2022 was the only other season in which the signal-caller started more than one contest. Rush performed admirably then, keeping Dallas afloat during Prescott's absence by posting a 4-1 record and passing for over 1,000 yards and five touchdowns across five starts.

The Ravens would like to see a similar performance if Rush is thrust into action for them. They haven't fared well with backups lately, as they have combined to post a 4-10 record in the 14 games that Lamar Jackson hasn't started—including the playoffs—over the last six seasons.

However, Jackson hasn't missed a game due to an injury over the last two years. Rush may not touch the field except in mop-up time if that remains the case over the next two.

Grade: B+

Clelin Ferrell, Jalyn Holmes Re-Sign with Washington Commanders

The Commanders kept two pieces of their defensive line around with new deals over the weekend. Ferrell and Holmes combined for 5.5 sacks last year—their first in the nation's capital—and they should each build on their steady performances in 2025.

Grade: B+

Parris Campbell Signs with Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys added some depth to their receiving corps with Campbell. While he hasn't made much of an impact in the NFL since his 63-catch, 623-yard, three-touchdown campaign with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022, he has some upside following an injury-shortened stint with the Philadelphia Eagles last year.

Grade: C+

JuJu Smith-Schuster Re-Signs with Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs will have a familiar face in the receiving corps again next year with Smith-Schuster sticking around for 2025. He's no longer the playmaker he was during his first stint in Kansas City (he put up a 78-933-3 line in 2022 compared to an 18-231-2 line last year), but familiarity with quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid's system helps this veteran depth option.

Grade: B

Velus Jones Jr. Signs with New Orleans Saints

The Saints are hoping to get some value out of their budget signing of Jones. While the 27-year-old hasn't lived up to his third-round billing thus far, his upside as both a receiver and return specialist make him worth a dice roll for this cash-strapped squad.

Grade: C+

Derrick Nnadi Signs with New York Jets

The Jets may be in a state of transition with little hope of contending right away under the new regime, but they just brought in a veteran defensive tackle with plenty of Super Bowl experience in Nnadi. The three-time Lombardi Trophy winner can help establish the type of locker room culture that head coach Aaron Glenn is expecting while also working as a rotational run-stopper.

Grade: B+

Ronnie Rivers Re-Signs with Los Angeles Rams

Rams head coach Sean McVay has been reticent to use a platoon approach to his backfield, and that's unlikely to change in 2025 despite both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum vying for playing time. Rivers might rarely sniff the field on offense, but he can continue to contribute on special teams while working as an emergency RB option.

Grade: B

Daniel Ekuale Signs with Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers beefed up their defensive trenches a bit by signing Ekuale. The 31-year-old was a consistent starter for a thin New England Patriots defense in 2024, and he's a candidate to continue in a similar role for a team that just released Larry Ogunjobi last week.

Grade: B+