Sports
2025 NFL Free Agency: Top 10 Players Available This Offseason
With the 2024 NFL season in the books, it’s naturally time to look forward to 2025, and the first thing on every GM’s agenda is going to be sifting through the available free agents to find the guys they want to help them remake their team.
What’s the common theme? Youth. Just one of the top 10 available free agents has hit the age of 30. The average age of this group is 27.2. And the top four players on our list are even younger, with an average age of 25.5.
Yes, teams want to get better. But they also want to get value, and the younger they go, the less chance they end up with a guy who will hit a wall before the end of their contract.
With that in mind, here are our top 10 NFL free agents for the spring of 2025.
1. WR Tee Higgins, Bengals
The Bengals, who went 9-8 in 2024, were a much better 8-4 with Higgins in uniform, underscoring the kind of impact the big-bodied wide receiver has had over five seasons in Cincinnati. The 26-year-old would have been a hot property last season, too, had he not been franchise tagged.
2. G Trey Smith, Chiefs
Smith is just 25; he has a winning pedigree with two Super Bowl titles, and he has missed only one game in his first four NFL seasons with the Chiefs. Plus, one could argue Smith is just now hitting his stride, being whistled for a career-low two penalties during the Chiefs’ AFC Championship winning run in 2024.
3. QB Sam Darnold, Vikings
Objectively, the 27-year-old Darnold probably isn’t a top-three player. This ranking is more a reflection of the importance of the position he plays and the relative lack of other appealing options. Darnold had a career year in 2024 with 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns for the 14-3 Vikings, and now he’s set to cash in.
4. S Jevon Holland, Dolphins
Holland is young (24) yet accomplished, with four good seasons in Miami under his belt. With 25 passes defended, five interceptions and 301 tackles, Holland has shown equal propensity for patrolling the middle of the field and coming up to attack the run.
5. T Ronnie Stanley, Ravens
The oldest player on this list (30), Stanley nevertheless stood out with a Pro Bowl turn in 2024, rebounding from a series of injuries that cost him time in previous seasons. The missed time might actually work to the 2019 All-Pro’s advantage a little, in that there’s now less wear on the tires.
6. CB D.J. Reed, Jets
Reed has traditionally graded out very well among the services, including PFF, who gave him a 70.1 coverage grade in 2024 (31st in the league). The 28-year-old is rarely talked about in the company of the best corners in the league, but Jets fans would be sure to miss him and his 32 pass breakups (over three seasons) should he depart.
7. WR Chris Godwin, Buccaneers
Higgins is the most coveted prize at wide receiver, but Godwin, 28, shouldn’t rank far behind on most teams’ boards. Last year’s injury-plagued campaign broke a streak of three straight 1,000-yard seasons, but Godwin has been a consistent performer operating opposite Mike Evans and he can do so elsewhere.
8. EDGE Josh Sweat, Eagles
To the victors go the spoils, and for any Eagles players set to hit the market, that’s great news. Super Bowl winners always tend to get rewarded, and the 27-year-old Sweat, who had 2 1/2 sacks in the Super Bowl after an eight-sack regular season, is very well positioned now.
9. T Cam Robinson, Vikings
Like Stanley, Robinson plays a premier position, so a little extra mileage (29 years old) won’t hurt him as much as some other guys. Robinson was a midseason trade acquisition for the Vikings from the Jaguars and is known for his pass-blocking acumen. He didn’t miss a contest in ‘24.
10. LB Zack Baun, Eagles
A number of Eagles are set to capitalize on their Super Bowl victory with big deals. For the 28-year-old Baun, fresh off a critical interception of Patrick Mahomes in that game to cap a stellar 2024 season (151 tackles), that may be especially true.
Honorable Mentions:
LB Nick Bolton, Chiefs
S Justin Reid, Chiefs
WR Amari Cooper, Bills
Edge Khalil Mack, Chargers
DT Osa Odighizuwa, Cowboys
DT Milton Williams, Eagles
C Drew Dalman, Falcons
CB Carlton Davis, Lions
RB Aaron Jones, Vikings
WR Stefon Diggs, Texans
Sports
Red Sox tackle Blue Jays to secure sixth straight series win
Jul 26, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Boston Red Sox starter Ranger Suarez and four relievers combined to shut down the visiting Toronto Blue Jays in a 6-1 win Sunday.
Boston, which has won 17 of its last 19 games, won a sixth straight series.
Suarez, pitching for the first time since July 5 due to a groin strain, was taken out after four scoreless innings and 64 pitches. The southpaw allowed four hits with no walks and struck out six.
Greg Weissert (3-2), Tyron Guerrero, Justin Slaten and Ryan Watson scattered five Blue Jays hits the rest of the way.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman (4-10) allowed three runs and five hits in six innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out six in 98 pitches.
Toronto has lost eight straight Gausman starts, and the 35-year-old has not won since May 22.
Boston jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third when Andruw Monasterio led off with a single off the Green Monster. He scored on a two-out single by Ceddanne Rafaela.
The Red Sox added two more in the fourth when Willson Contreras led off with a walk and Caleb Durbin singled. Romy Gonzalez laid down a bunt to sacrifice the runners to second and third, and Jarren Duran drove them both in with a single to center for a 3-0 lead.
Suarez, meanwhile, kept the Blue Jays off balance.
His only trouble came in the fourth inning when Alejandro Kirk and George Springer hit back-to-back one-out singles. Suarez, however, induced Daulton Varsho to hit into a fielder’s choice and then struck out Kazuma Okamoto looking to end the threat.
The Red Sox scored three more in the seventh.
Duran led off with a single and Monasterio walked. Carlos Narvaez bunted them over and pinch hitter Jahmai Jones doubled them both in with a drive off the wall in center.
Jones came home when Wilyer Abreu broke an 0-for-20 streak with a double off the wall in left.
The Blue Jays finally broke through in the ninth with three hits. Andres Gimenez drove in Varsho with two outs for their lone run.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Birthday boy Ryan O'Hearn leads Pirates past Cubs
Jul 26, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe (left) and designated hitter Bryan Reynolds (10) greet first baseman Ryan O’Hearn (29) crossing home plate on a grand slam home run against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Ryan O’Hearn celebrated his 32nd birthday by belting his second grand slam of the season and fourth of his career as the host Pittsburgh Pirates held on for an 8-7 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
Pittsburgh’s Shawn Ross launched a two-run homer in his second MLB game while rookie Esmerlyn Valdez also went deep and added an RBI single
Brandon Lowe collected three hits and two runs as the Pirates snapped a three-game losing streak in the finale of the three-game series.
The offensive explosion proved just enough for Braxton Ashcraft (10-4), who allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings.
Carmen Mlodzinski bridged the gap to Mason Montgomery, who surrendered Seiya Suzuki’s two-run homer in the ninth before retiring the next two batters to secure his second save.
Pete Crow-Armstrong ripped an RBI triple and Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner and Pedro Ramirez each had an RBI single for the Cubs.
Swanson opened the scoring in the second with an RBI single, but that slim advantage didn’t last long.
Valdez sent a 1-1 cutter from Jameson Taillon (2-6) over the left center wall to lead off the second inning. Valdez’s homer was his 14th of the season and eighth in his last 13 games. After O’Hearn walked, Ross deposited a 3-2 cutter over the wall in left.
The Pirates loaded the bases in the third before O’Hearn deposited a 0-1 fastball from Taillon over the wall in center to stake his team to a 7-1 lead. The homer by O’Hearn was his 17th of the season and first since he went deep three times — highlighted by a grand slam — in a 12-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves on July 7.
Taillon permitted seven runs on six hits in four innings to fall to 0-5 in his last eight outings.
Chicago scored three times in the fourth before Valdez’s broken-bat RBI single off Ryan Rolison extended Pittsburgh’s advantage to 8-5 in the fifth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jerry Kelly holds on to win 'indescribable' Senior Open title
Jerry Kelly hits out of a bunker on hole No. 14 during round 3 of the Kaulig Companies PGA Championship, July 11, 2026, at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Jerry Kelly turned a clutch bunker shot on the final hole into a birdie and won the ISPS Handa Senior Open by two shots on Sunday in Auchterarder, Scotland.
Kelly, 59, delivered his third consecutive round of 2-under-par 68 on The King’s Gleneagles course and finished at 10-under 270 to win the fifth and final major tournament of the season.
Matt Gogel, Darren Fichardt of South Africa and Cameron Percy of Australia all finished two shots back in a tie for second place.
With a one-shot lead on the par-5 closing hole, Kelly found the bunker with his second shot. The Madison, Wisc., native put the bunker shot to within 4 feet and made the putt for his first Senior Open title and his third major victory on the Champions Tour.
“It’s indescribable to win it,” said Kelly, who now has 15 overall victories on the Champions Tour. “The senior Claret Jug is the trophy that I’ve wanted as an over-50 golfer other than any other. To do it in Scotland, at the home of golf … I mean, I’m absolutely speechless.”
Tied for the lead with Percy at the start of the final round, Kelly was 2 under through five holes before his first bogey of the day at No. 6. He bounced back by birdieing the par-3 eighth. Kelly also had a bogey at No. 11 before he reeled off six consecutive pars that led into his birdie at 18.
“My brain, actually, was the most successful part of my game,” Kelly said. “In the past I would have gotten down that I wasn’t striking it the way I’d like to strike it. But instead of worrying about that, I just went and took care of the next shot.
“I learned a lot about myself today, and I wish I would have learned it about 20, 30 years ago.”
Gogel worked his way into contention with a 7-under 63 in the final round as he shot a 4-under 30 on the front nine. He also had birdies at Nos. 10 and 12 to close the gap, then wrapped his round with his seventh birdie of the day at No. 18.
“Certainly by 10, when I had a two-putt birdie there, I was thinking, ‘Geez, we keep this thing going, we have a chance to get a high finish,'” Gogel said.
Percy (even-par 70) had a rocky ride in the final round and was at 2 over the front nine. He had his first birdie of the day at No. 10 before another bogey at No. 11. He gathered himself down the stretch for two more birdies but was unable to collect another at the 18th.
Percy missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have put more pressure on Kelly.
Fichardt shot a 4-under 66 to close in on Kelly. He started his round with a bogey on the first hole, but had a strong finish with birdies at Nos. 14, 15 and 18.
Kely remained undaunted with his one-putt birdie to win it.
“To be on this trophy, to be a part of this trophy, to be a part of the R&A — I just love it over here, I really do,” Kelly said. “It brings it full circle that I didn’t do what I wanted to in the Open Championship but to get it done here, I mean, I’m over the moon.”
–Field Level Media
