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No one is safe in the sports world, especially in football. Aidin Ebrahimi looks at 10 fantasy-relevant NFL veterans who could be cut ahead of 2025 free agency.
Moving on is hard, especially in sports, where fans quickly get attached to players and form a connection that is hard to find anywhere else. Unfortunately, the sports world is ruthless, and chances are that your favorite player on your favorite team is never truly safe from being traded or cut.
The idea of a truly "untouchable" player existing in major American sports pretty much ended a few weeks ago when the NBA's Dallas Mavericks traded away Luka Doncic. No one is safe, especially in the NFL, where cuts and trades happen more regularly.
Without further ado, let's look at 10 fantasy-relevant veterans who could be cut before the 2025 season. We'll start the list with a foregone conclusion.
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Aaron Rodgers, QB, New York Jets
The four-time NFL MVP, fantasy football QB1, and one-time Super Bowl champion and MVP will go down as one of the greatest players in NFL history, but his stint with the New York Jets was an unmitigated disaster.
Don't forget! Before becoming the Packers' full-time starter, Aaron Rodgers was almost traded to the Raiders in 2007 for Randy Moss...
It'd be fitting to see him end his career where it almost started#RaiderNation #NFLTwitter https://t.co/aqb0vA95u2 pic.twitter.com/7MwAjr6nTP
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) February 17, 2025
A 6-12 record as a starter in two seasons (and we're being generous here; counting his first game as a win) is not what Jets fans were expecting when they landed the future Hall of Famer.
Now, the Jets have informed Rodgers they'll move on from him, meaning that he'll be cut soon. The Steelers, Raiders, and Colts have been linked to him, and he can do what his predecessor Brett Favre did and go from New York to Minnesota.
Or he could just retire, as he'll turn 42 near the end of next season.
Davante Adams, WR, New York Jets
If Rodgers is gone, that means his buddies are most likely gone as well. The Jets traded for Adams to turn their season around, but only won three games with Adams on the roster.
The only way for him to stay is if he agrees to restructure the $76.6 million left on his contract, which is unlikely. He has been linked to the Bills and Steelers, but he'll likely be on the same team as Aaron Rodgers in 2025 if the signal-caller doesn't retire.
Gardner Minshew II, QB, Las Vegas Raiders
Gardner Minshew has proven himself to be a reliable spot starter in the NFL and even earned a Pro Bowl selection in the 2023 season after a solid year with the Colts. This led the Las Vegas Raiders to sign him to a two-year, $25 million contract in the offseason.
Imagine Gardner Minshew comes back to Jacksonville as QB2... pic.twitter.com/t7dfGX3yuA
— Nash Henry (@NashJagsNats22) February 12, 2025
Unfortunately, things didn't go quite as planned in Sin City, as Minshew was benched and suffered a season-ending injury after filling in for an injured Aidan O'Connell. The Raiders are expected to move on from Minshew, but it won't be hard for him to find work as a backup.
Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers
Miles Sanders was one of the best RBs in football when he arrived in Carolina a couple of years ago. Sadly, his stint with the Panthers has been very disappointing. Now with the emergence of Chuba Hubbard, the team is expected to cut him.
Even though backup RB Jonathon Brooks might miss most of the 2025 season with an injury, the Panthers can simply find cheaper and younger options for the RB2 role.
Taysom Hill, TE, New Orleans Saints
Taysom Hill is one of the most beloved players in Saints history, and the team went 1-8 without the veteran weapon last season. He battled injuries all year long before succumbing to a torn ACL in Week 13.
#Saints Taysom Hill is expected to be released, the move would save the team $10 Million in cap space. #NFL #NFLRumors pic.twitter.com/MAbEdFeJS3
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) February 15, 2025
He'll turn 35 before the 2025 season, so it's unlikely to see the rebuilding Saints paying him $18,236,500 to keep him for another year. He has been heavily linked to the Broncos, which will reunite him with his former head coach, Sean Payton.
Derek Carr, QB, New Orleans Saints
Staying with the Saints, Derek Carr is also another cut candidate this season. Carr has a winning record with the Saints (14-13), but couldn't reach the playoffs in his two seasons with the team. The Saints are in cap hell and are looking to rebuild.
Cutting Carr would save the Saints just $1 million, but it would allow them to develop Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener without much pressure. A backup QB with a massive contract will cause issues in the locker room, and cutting ties with him will help them rebuild in the long run.
David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns
After an unexpectedly great 2023 season, the Browns have turned into a mess once again. Nick Chubb has probably played his last game as a Brown, Myles Garrett has requested a trade, and cutting Deshaun Watson is unlikely due to the massive dead cap that the move would trigger.
Due to these factors, and the fact that Watson probably won't play in 2025 due to reinjuring his Achilles, the team is looking to rebuild. This leaves veterans like David Njoku in an uncomfortable place.
Njoku is trying to keep Garrett in Cleveland, but if he can't, it won't make much sense for the 28-year-old to stay on the team.
Zack Moss, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Zack Moss had an awesome four-game stretch in 2023 when Jonathan Taylor got hurt, which earned him a two-year, $8 million contract and the starting RB job in Cincinnati.
Chase Brown was always RB1 this offseason. That Zack Moss stuff was funny
— Ace Boogie (@NewStripeCity) December 10, 2024
However, he failed to impress and missed the rest of the season after an injury in Week 8. Considering that Chase Brown averaged 78.9 yards per game after Moss' injury (48.6 more yards than Moss averaged as a Bengal), it seems hard to imagine him staying for another year.
Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
What will the Seahawks' passing game look like in 2025? Will Geno Smith still be under center? Will Jaxon Smith-Njigba be the focus of the offense?
Will DK Metcalf get traded? Most analysts can't come up with a good guess, but they all agree that the team will likely move on from Tyler Lockett. The Kansas State product hasn't had a 1,000-yard season since 2022 and will turn 33 years old next season.
Kirk Cousins, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Finally, we end things with Kirk Cousins. Cousins was supposed to be the missing piece for the Falcons to win the NFC South, and it was all going well after the first nine weeks. But then, Cousins went on a terrible stretch, winning just one game out of five, and throwing one touchdown to nine interceptions.
The Atlanta Falcons are expected to cut Kirk Cousins before his $10 million roster bonus is due March 17, sources tell @AdamSchefter. https://t.co/zaGgRD8M6y
— ESPN (@espn) December 21, 2024
Cousins was benched for Michael Penix Jr., but it was too little, too late, and the team missed the playoffs once again. Cousins has attributed his midseason slump to shoulder and elbow injuries, but regardless, it seems like his time in Atlanta is over.
The team wants to develop Penix and now has to decide whether to trade or cut Cousins. The Jets and Giants are reportedly interested in his services, and it remains to be seen if they'll pursue a trade, or wait until the Falcons cut him.
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