They entered the league four years apart, as first-round picks. They’re currently ranked first and second in all-time career earnings.
Via Spotrac.com, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has made $381.6 million in his 20-year career. Quarterback Matthew Stafford ranks second on the list, with $364 million in 16 seasons.
Tom Brady is third, with $317.6 million. Matt Ryan lands at fourth, with $306.2 million.
Russell Wilson stands at fifth, with $305.3 million. Kirk Cousins is sixth, at $293.9 million. Both will likely pass Ryan this year. Cousins, given that he’s guaranteed to make $27.5 million, will pass Brady, too.
The rest of the top ten are Drew Brees ($273.9 million), Ben Roethlisberger ($266.7 million), Peyton Manning ($247.7 million), and Dak Prescott ($247.6 million).
For both Rodgers and Stafford, the question for 2025 becomes whether they’ll want to maximize their earnings or whether they’ll take less for the right situation. Both have won a Super Bowl. Both are first-ballot, no-brainer Hall of Famers.
Of the two, Rodgers seems more likely to take less to get a chance to go out with a contender, given that his time with the Jets (despite being, as he has described it, the best two years of his life) does not reflect his tenure with the Packers.
Rodgers will be a free agent. Stafford will get a new contract that increases the $27 million he’s due to make in 2025, either from the Rams or a new team.
Eventually, Stafford could finish his career as No. 1. And he’ll hold it until he’s passed by Prescott or, in time, Patrick Mahomes — who has made $181.9 million in eight seasons.
The following are PFT’s top 100 free agents for the start of the 2025 league year. The rankings include prospective unrestricted free agents and released players. The list will be updated as events warrant, with signings, tags and re-signings denoted when announced and/or reported. Players released after initial publication may be added and all 100 players initially on the list will still be listed after any additions.
1. Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins
2. Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold
3. Chiefs offensive guard Trey Smith
4. Eagles edge rusher Josh Sweat
5. Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin
6. Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley
7. Jets cornerback D.J. Reed
8. Dolphins safety Jevon Holland
9. Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton
10. Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa
11. Chiefs safety Justin Reid
12. Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack
13. 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward
14. 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga
15. 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw
16. Rams offensive tackle Alaric Jackson
17. Vikings offensive tackle Cam Robinson
18. Falcons center Drew Dalman
19. Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis
20. Eagles linebacker Zack Baun
21. Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood
22. Jets edge Haason Reddick
23. Eagles offensive guard Mekhi Becton
24. Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers
25. Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy
26. Colts offensive guard Will Fries
27. Packers center Josh Myers
28. Vikings safety Cam Bynum
29. Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner
30. Eagles defensive lineman Milton Williams
31. Lions defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike
32. Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel
33. Vikings running back Aaron Jones
34. Raiders safety Tre’von Moehrig
35. Saints tight end Juwan Johnson
36. Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper
37. Steelers running back Najee Harris
38. Lions offensive guard Kevin Zeitler
39. Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown
40. Cardinals linebacker Baron Browning
41. Steelers offensive guard James Daniels
42. Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson
43. Saints edge rusher Chase Young
44. Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs
45. Colts edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo
46. Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton
47. Giants linebacker Azeez Ojulari
48. Chiefs defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton
49. Falcons safety Justin Simmons
50. Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton
51. Buccaneers offensive guard Ben Bredeson
52. Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton
53. Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones
54. Vikings edge rusher Patrick Jones
55. Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David
56. Commanders edge rusher Dante Fowler
57. Vikings safety Harrison Smith
58. Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas
59. Steelers quarterback Justin Fields
60. Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce
61. Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai
62. Commanders safety Jeremy Chinn
63. Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane
64. Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins
65. Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins
66. Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown
67. Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo
68. Ravens offensive guard Patrick Mekari
69. Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen
70. Cowboys defensive lineman DeMarcus Lawrence
71. Commanders tight end Zach Ertz
72. Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill
73. Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed
74. Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins
75. Colts center Ryan Kelly
76. Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis
77. Colts safety Julian Blackmon
78. Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki
79. Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo
80. Dolphins defensive lineman Calais Campbell
81. Falcons edge rusher Matthew Judon
82. Colts linebacker E.J. Speed
83. Jaguars offensive guard Brandon Scherff
84. Steelers offensive tackle Dan Moore
85. Chargers defensive tackle Poona Ford
86. Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson
87. Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle
88. Browns quarterback Jameis Winston
89. Cardinals outside linebacker Kyzir White
90. Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson
91. Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs
92. Jets offensive tackle Morgan Moses
93. Broncos inside linebacker Cody Barton
94. 49ers defensive lineman Javon Hargrove
95. Browns offensive tackle Jedrick Wills
96. Rams defensive tackle Bobby Brown
97. Jaguars safety Andre Cisco
98. Cowboys edge rusher Chauncey Golston
99. Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones
100. Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell
The Scouting Combine in Indianapolis will become not only Tampering Central but also the thickest patch in the NFL grapevine of the offseason. Rumors will be rampant. Some will be accurate, some won’t be.
This year, the chatter is starting early.
Based on recent reports and public comments and other things churning in the broader NFL rumor mill, one experienced G.M. has a prediction as to how the Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers companion mysteries will be resolved.
Step one, Stafford gets traded to the Giants.
Step two, Rodgers signs with the Rams.
As to the first part, the logic goes like this. Stafford wants a raise over the $27 million the Rams are due to pay him in 2025. If Stafford and the Rams can’t work it out — and if the Giants (with a coach and/or a G.M. on the hot seat) want to make a big swing in the hopes of winning now — they’d be a candidate to pay him and to give the Rams fair and proper trade compensation.
As to the second part, there’s a belief that Rodgers’s desire to play for the Rams will get him to do a sweetheart deal. That frees up cash and cap space to be used in 2025 or banked for the coming wave of second contracts, starting in 2026 with receiver Puka Nacua.
Again, it’s just a prediction. But it’s not from someone in the media or a fan. It’s from someone who knows a thing or two about how the NFL sausage gets made, based on having plenty of time turning the handle.
If it happens, two quarterbacks who faced off twice per year with NFC North teams will be heading to their third franchises. And while the Rams and Giants won’t square off in the 2025 regular season, a Stafford trade to the Giants would send him back to Detroit. Again.
The Lions have lost a lot of assistant coaches, including offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, since their playoff loss to the Commanders and there’s been plenty of discussion about the impact that will have on the team in 2025.
Count defensive end Aidan Hutchinson among those who don’t think it will have much of an impact at all. While appearing on The Squeeze podcast, Hutchinson said that coaching turnover is a fact of life in the NFL “whenever you have a lot of success in the NFL and you get a one seed.”
Hutchinson went on to say that he thinks the things that the continued presence of head coach Dan Campbell and the talent on the roster are the things that will matter the most in Detroit.
“I don’t care who they bring in to coach us,” Hutchinson said. “Obviously keeping Dan there is what we all want, but coordinators, position coaches, it doesn’t matter. As long as we have the right guys in the locker room and those foundation guys on offense, on defense — you can roll anyone in there to call the plays. At the end of the day, it’s going to be the playmakers who are making those plays on Sundays. As long as we keep our core group and keep everyone there, we’re going to stay in this window of winning.”
It’s fair to say the Bears made Johnson their head coach and the Jets hired Glenn for the same job because they feel they had a slightly bigger hand in the Lions’ recent success, but all viewpoints will get tested once the teams get on the field this fall.
Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was the betting favorite to win the NFL’s defensive player of the year award before his 2024 season was cut short by a leg injury. And now Hutchinson is the favorite to win that award and another in 2025.
Hutchinson is currently the betting favorite to win both defensive player of the year and comeback player of the year, via the odds at DraftKings.com.
Hutchinson’s defensive player of the year odds of +650 put him just ahead of Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons and Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who are all at +700. Garrett has asked the Browns to trade him, and Hutchinson says he and Garrett have talked about the possibility of playing together on the Lions.
Hutchinson’s comeback player of the year odds of +200 put him ahead of 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey at +300, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott at +350, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence at +400 and Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy at +750.
If Hutchinson gets healthy, stays healthy, and plays like he was playing early last season, he could pick up two major awards at the 2026 NFL Honors. And if Hutchinson has a big year, he may not be at NFL Honors, because the Lions may be preparing to play in the Super Bowl.
Eagles cornerback Darius Slay knows that he’s close to the end of the line as a player, but the 12-year veteran isn’t sure where he’ll finish out his career.
Slay was a guest on the St. Brown Podcast and said that he’s sure he wants to play “one more year” in the NFL. Slay is under contract with the Eagles through the 2025 season and said he’s hopeful for a chance to help the team go for a second straight Super Bowl title, but added “you know how that works” in reference to the possibility that the team might go in a different direction.
If that’s the case, Slay suggested a return to the Lions would be his preference.
“If it is, it is. If it ain’t, it ain’t,” Slay said. “For sure, the two spots I would love to always be at is Philly or Detroit. The main two, the main ones I’d love to be at.”
The Eagles would need to designate Slay as a post-June 1 cut to receive any cap relief and that would still leave over $9.4 million of dead money for the 2025 season. That might be reason enough for Slay to play a sixth season in Philly before sorting out anything that might come next.
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett’s trade request has sparked a lot of conversations around the league, including one between Garrett and another heralded pass rusher.
Lions star Aidan Hutchinson was a guest on The Squeeze podcast and he was asked about any offseason moves that he thinks the Lions should make. Hutchinson said that he and Garrett were both at the NFL Honors show ahead of the Super Bowl and had a chance to chat about forming a “deadly” combination.
“We were just talking about what could be,” Hutchinson said. “And, although it’s probably unlikely, I would be thrilled to play next to him if it were to happen. Our whole D-Line would be just totally elevated. That would be a scary defensive line. And we get along, too. I’ve seen him these last few years at different things. He texted me after I got hurt, which, I don’t know, it was just a cool thing. Like guys outside of your own team who reach out to you. So I think he’s a good dude. If he does, great, but I don’t know. We’ll see. But that would be awesome.”
Garrett said his goal in leaving Cleveland is to land with a contender and the Lions certainly fit the bill on that front, but other teams do as well and the coming weeks should bring more clarity about who is going to make the biggest push for the disgruntled pass rusher.
Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams has been suspended twice in his first three NFL seasons, but he’s not facing a third ban heading into the 2025 campaign.
The NFL told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press that Williams will not face league discipline after being found with an unlicensed gun during a traffic stop last year. A league spokesperson said the matter is “closed.”
Williams was a passenger in a car driven by his brother in October and both men had guns. Williams’s brother was licensed to carry a concealed weapon, but Williams did not. He was handcuffed at the time, but not arrested and the handling of the incident led to further review by prosecutors.
Williams was never charged with a crime and the league’s decision means he’s clear to head into the 2025 season without anything related to the incident hanging over his head.
The trend of college programs poaching NFL front office personnel is continuing in Michigan.
According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Jon Dykema is departing the Lions to become Michigan State’s executive senior associate athletic director/student-athlete management and assistant general counsel.
That long title means Dykema will negotiate and manage contracts for Michigan State athletics.
Dykema had been with the Lions for 15 seasons, the last four as director of football compliance/lead football counsel. He was in charge of overseeing the legal aspects of the team’s football operations, including negotiating player contracts and assisting with salary cap management.
Dykema graduated from Michigan State in 2003 and will now return to his Alma Mater. He served as a student manager for the men’s basketball team during his time as a student.
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said this week that he wants the unit to be built around the defensive line and a key part of those plans will be a healthy Aidan Hutchinson.
The defensive end broke his tibia and fibula in October and his rehab has progressed to the point that Hutchinson is able to run on the field. Hutchinson posted video of himself going through a workout on Instagram Monday.
Hutchinson talked about making it back for the Super Bowl in December, but the Lions’ loss to the Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs meant there was no chance to put that to the test.
If he can make a full recovery before the start of the 2025 campaign, it will be a big plus for the Lions’ chances of making a deeper postseason run next time around.