Seven NFL Players Who Could Be Traded This Offseason

Which players could be traded in the 2025 NFL offseason? Joey Pollizze looks at seven candidates who could be moved in the coming months and play for new teams.

The NFL offseason is always one of the most wild times of the year. Although it isn't officially the offseason yet, it's never too early to start thinking about which moves could go down in the coming months. 

Last year, players like Justin Fields, Keenan Allen, Joe Mixon, Jerry Jeudy, Brian Burns, L'Jarius Sneed, and Stefon Diggs were just some of the big names traded early in the offseason. While it's hard to predict what will happen this offseason, there will be plenty of big names moved in March and April.

So, which players could be traded this offseason? Let's dive in and take a look at seven players who could be moved in the next few months. 

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Deebo Samuel,WR, San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are going to need to make a major move this offseason to start clearing money for quarterback Brock Purdy. Purdy is eligible for an extension this offseason, and the young signal-caller will likely want more than $50 million a year. Simply put, San Francisco can't afford that right now.

As a result, expect one of the team's playmakers to be traded this offseason. Given that no one will want to take on Brandon Aiyuk's recent contract, Deebo Samuel is the likeliest 49ers wideout to be moved in the coming months.

Although general manager John Lynch said that the team will not trade away Samuel this offseason, it's hard to imagine San Francisco not at least trying to move him. He is coming off a subpar year in which he totaled just 670 receiving yards, and the 49ers have enough wideouts on this team to replace him next year. Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall are more than capable of leading this wide receiver room in 2025. 

WHO SAYS NO?#Dolphins trade picks for All-Pro WR Deebo Samuel. Tyreek, Waddle, and Deebo… pic.twitter.com/jbfm9hrnD0

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 14, 2025

The only problem with moving Samuel is that it makes more sense for the team to trade him away post-June 1. San Francisco would save more money and not incur as big of a dead cap penalty. Either way, though, the 49ers wideout has a good chance of being moved this offseason. 

Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

It's possible that we saw Cooper Kupp's last game in a Rams uniform in the Divisional Round. Kupp just wasn't the same player in the second half of the season, and rumors were circulating around the NFL trade deadline that Los Angeles planned to move him. With the veteran's cap hit listed at $29.78 million next year, there's a strong chance that the team will get rid of him this offseason. 

It might be tough to find a trade partner for Kupp, but there will likely be some teams interested in the 31-year-old wideout. As for the Rams, they would save $12.5 million if they can move him before the June 1 deadline (Over the Cap). 

It's becoming more and more likely that Kupp will not be with the Rams next season. He only caught 10 passes over his last five games and just became nonexistent in the passing game.

The veteran also said after the team's Divisional Round loss that he would "love to be in LA, [but] who knows what's going to happen." 

George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

It would be a shock if the Steelers moved George Pickens this offseason. However, Mark Kaboly of 93.7 The Fan suggests that it could happen if Pittsburgh lands a WR1 in free agency or through trade. He wrote, "Can they land somebody? If so, I do think they will move [Pickens]." 

There's no doubt that Pickens' frustrations were visible this past season, as the wideout was seen upset numerous times throughout the year. While trading him away seems like a long shot right now, it could come to fruition if the Steelers were able to land a wideout like Tee Higgins or Chris Godwin in free agency. 

It's hard to imagine Pittsburgh trading away Pickens this offseason. However, if the Steelers don't believe that they can eventually agree to a contract extension with him -- given that he is in the final year of his rookie deal -- then it might be best to move on from the wideout. The team should be able to get a solid return for the Georgia product. 

Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets

Garrett Wilson was frustrated with his lack of involvement in the Jets passing offense this season. Although the wideout totaled a career-high 101 catches for 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns, he was visibly upset after a Week 16 game against the Rams in which he wasn't involved until the fourth quarter. 

Now, whether the 24-year-old wide receiver asks for a trade or not will likely depend on what the Jets do this offseason. Is Aaron Rodgers coming back? If not, who will be the starting quarterback for this team during the 2025-26 season? Will the new head coach be open to trading such a talented wideout like Wilson? 

Interesting comments from Garrett Wilson on @BartAndHahn. Obviously, he's frustrated by his slow start. On the #Jets offensive identity:

“I don’t think we do a lot of different stuff to be honest. I watch football on Sundays and I see a lot of teams mix it up and stuff like…

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) October 1, 2024

Therefore, it's too early to tell if Wilson will be moved, but it's certainly a possibility. The wideout will likely not want to go through another season with Rodgers or a bottom-tier quarterback under center. That makes this offseason a pivotal one for the Jets because the former Offensive Rookie of the Year could ask for a trade if the quarterback situation doesn't improve. 

Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

Tyreek Hill made some interesting comments in the final week of the regular season following the Dolphins' elimination from the playoffs. Hill said, "There's a lot of things that I need to reassess about my career. I just gotta do what's best for me and my family, whether that's here or wherever the case may be... I'm out, bro."

Even though Hill's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said that the wideout is committed to the Dolphins after meeting with the team following the season, there's a chance that the veteran will be moved this offseason. He is at a point in his career where he wants to win, and Miami might not be the right spot for that to happen. 

The Dolphins were without Tua Tagovailoa for a large part of the season, so there's a chance that Hill will want to run it back. However, there's also a chance that he will demand a trade to one of the top teams in the NFL since he will be turning 31 years old in just a couple of months and time is not on his side anymore. 

Jaire Alexander, CB, Green Bay Packers

There's a good chance the Packers will make cornerback Jaire Alexander available in trade this offseason. The two-time Pro Bowler has dealt with multiple injuries over the past couple of seasons, and his $24.9 million cap hit next season is the second-highest amongst all cornerbacks in the league. So, Alexander could be moved this offseason. 

He has only appeared in 14 games over the past two years, and Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said a couple of days ago that "there's frustrations from both sides that he can't get out there." With a large cap hit coming during the 2025-26 season, Green Bay could save $6.8 million by trading him before June 1 (Over the Cap).

Alexander has been one of the top corners in the NFL when healthy, but he just hasn't lived up to his contract because of his recent injuries. He has played less than eight games in three of the past four seasons. Still, if the Packers plan to trade him in the coming months, there should be plenty of teams interested in the 27-year-old cornerback. 

Maxx Crosby, Edge, Las Vegas Raiders

Maxx Crosby could be the next big star who wants out of his current situation. Crosby has only played in one playoff game in his career, and he has spoken up recently about wanting to get back to the postseason. With the Raiders currently in a rebuild, though, the Pro Bowl pass-rusher might not want to wait around. As a result, he might ask for a trade this offseason. 

Crosby has become one of the best edge-rushers in the NFL, totaling 34.5 sacks over the last three seasons. But he hasn't sniffed the playoffs since 2021 and will be playing for his third head coach in three seasons next year. 

𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby says that “a lot of things need to be discussed” about his future and the lack of guaranteed money remaining on his contract.

“I’m currently under contract, but I have no guaranteed money left. There are a lot of things that… pic.twitter.com/9fM0HA1t4t

— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) January 21, 2025

Even though owner Mark Davis came out in October and said that the team would not be trading Crosby, things could change come March/April. The Raiders could get multiple first-round picks for the four-time Pro Bowler, which would help kick-start their rebuild. The 27-year-old pass-rusher could be the biggest name traded this offseason. 

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