NFL Analysis
3/10/25
7 min read
2025 NFL Free Agency: Most Surprising Contract Figures From Early Action
The legal tampering NFL free agency period doesn't start until noon Eastern on Monday, but there's been early action while teams grab already-released veterans and re-sign their own players. With another huge influx of cap space granted this offseason, the spending numbers will undoubtedly leave us surprised. We've already seen some of the effects of a cap spike play out.
However, not all of the surprising early NFL free-agency contracts are bad. A few deals stand out for being excellent values compared to what was expected. With half the league possessing more than $40 million in cap space, some of the top names could've seen bigger paydays elsewhere.
What are the most surprising deals we've seen thus far? Here are six moves that weren't quite expected.
Surprising Early NFL Free Agency Contracts
Alex Cappa, OG, Las Vegas Raiders
Contract: 2 years, $11 million, $5.5 million guaranteed
The Cincinnati Bengals released the worst starting offensive lineman in the NFL last year, and Pete Carroll's Las Vegas Raiders signed him to a new deal almost immediately.
Alex Cappa's performance has degraded since arriving in Cincinnati from Tampa Bay, seeing his pass blocking grades drop from solid to below average to abysmal in a three-year span. He allowed the most quarterback pressures and hurries amongst all guards and was second in sacks allowed in 2024.
The Raiders only guaranteed one year to Cappa, but even that's surprising. Based on his own performance, the 30-year-old right guard can't be trusted to start at this point in his career. The other odd part is that Cappa has exclusively been a right guard to this point, and he's undoubtedly a backup to Dylan Parham on this roster.
Will the Raiders have Cappa swap sides and then compete with a rookie at left guard? Overpaying Cappa to be a veteran backup is at least more tolerable than planning for him to be a starter. It's an odd decision that happened with such haste that it's hard not to wonder if there's information the Raiders had that the public doesn't.
Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
Contract: 3 years, $25.5 million
The Bengals have a full shopping list of needs to address in free agency on top of taking care of in-house extensions with three stars. Knocking out a Mike Gesicki deal probably shouldn't have been a priority, given the fact he's a glorified receiver who has been given a tight end label. Only 65 of his 525 snaps in 2024 came from an inline tight end spot.
Gesicki was effective when Tee Higgins was out of the lineup but rarely otherwise. Still, his stat line of 65 receptions for 665 yards and two touchdowns was respectable enough. His season may have saved his career after two quiet years in a row previously.
Giving Gesicki $8.5 million a year isn't going to severely limit the Bengals' spending ability, but it's worthwhile to ask whether it was a wise investment. Gesicki was a fine value on a one-year, $2.5 million deal last season, but it's hard to feel like the team got an especially good deal for a player who doesn't move the needle in his role.
Instead, the Bengals could've simply gone after a true slot receiver with more upside and versatility or a true tight end. His salary is tied for 14th among all tight ends.
Marquise Brown, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Contract: 1 year, $11 million
It must be nice to play in two games and then get a pay raise before free agency even began. The Kansas City Chiefs lost a ton of negotiating power with Marquise Brown due to Rashee Rice's season-ending injury and Xavier Worthy's recent arrest, which later led to no charges. With DeAndre Hopkins, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Justin Watson, and Mecole Hardman also slated to hit the market, Brown cashed in on a desperate team.
Brown's one-year, $11 million deal is surely incentive-laden, but to get more of an upside than his one-year, $7 million deal from last year is impressive. He caught nine of 15 targets for 91 yards before suffering a dislocated shoulder. Brown had been relatively healthy throughout his career until now, missing more than three games in one season only once in his career.
Kansas City had the need, and Brown gets a lot of hype despite having a game that doesn't fit the stereotype of being a speedy deep threat. He is fast but has averaged only 11.6 yards per catch throughout his career. The Chiefs need him to be healthy and explosive in 2025 as they overhaul their playmaking corps.
Zack Baun, LB, Philadelphia Eagles
Contract: 3 years, $51 million, $34 million guaranteed
Going from a player who earned a one-year, $3.5 million opportunity to being tied for the third-highest-paid off-ball linebacker is an incredible development for Zack Baun. Getting $17 million per year from the Eagles was a surprise because the team has historically not valued the position to that extent, and Baun might've gotten more on the open market.
Considering the money on the market and Baun's production of 151 tackles, 3.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and excellent support on all three downs, the Eagles did well once again. He fell short of Roquan Smith's $20 million mark, but a three-year deal allows him to see the market again sooner rather than later.
Teams desperate for help at the position now have limited options. Lavonte David and Bobby Wagner re-signed with their teams, and not long after Ernest Jones IV and Jamein Sherwood did, too.
Alaric Jackson, OT, Los Angeles Rams
Contract: 3 years, $57.75 million, $35.4 million guaranteed
Alaric Jackson was the perfect candidate to be overpaid during free agency. Only 27 and coming off his best season in a barren tackle market, Jackson was expected to be courted by the Patriots, Commanders, Jaguars, and other teams flush with more than $60 million in space. Getting $25 million a year felt doable.
Instead, the Rams worked their magic after restructuring Matthew Stafford's contract, and Jackson wanted to stay. Netting $19.25 million a year lands him in the top 10 left tackle deals in the league before Kolton Miller gets a new contract. It's fair for his talent and impact level, but that's an unusual case when someone was about to be an unrestricted free agent.
Myles Garrett, EDGE, Cleveland Browns
Contract: 4 years, $160 million, $123 million guaranteed
It didn't take long for Myles Garrett to change his tune about wanting a trade from Cleveland to becoming a lifetime Brown. The fact Cleveland made Garrett the highest-paid non-quarterback of all time helps, and the gap between Garrett and the field at the position is huge. He'll average $4.5 million more per year than Maxx Crosby, who just got $35.5 million a year from Vegas.
The cap constraints Cleveland would face by trading Garrett before June 1 always made an extension more likely than getting rid of him. Even with Garrett's final scorched-Earth approach late last week, where it was reported he could get foot surgery, and he was unhappy with his teammate's efforts, ultimately, the money won out.
This is a good outcome for both Garrett and the Browns, but it was surprising how quickly it came together.
