With the 2025 NFL Free Agency getting underway next week, there will be multiple teams with a lot of pressure on them to improve their rosters. From teams looking to get out of the basement to NFL teams looking to take the next step as a contender, there will be multiple teams with pressure on them to nail the 2025 free agency period. Here are five teams with the most pressure on them in free agency.
5 Teams Who Must Nail Free Agency
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals might be the team with the most at stake at every point of the 2025 offseason and regular season. After missing out on the playoffs for the second straight year, the Bengals have to retain their top talent and retool parts of its team if they want to get back into the postseason this upcoming season.
The Bengals have $43 million in cap space, and they already have work to do to re-sign standout receiver Tee Higgins after giving him the franchise tag for the second straight season. They also have to retool the defense, which ranked 25th in total defense and 30th in defensive success rate, primarily the reason the Bengals were kept out of the playoffs, as its offense ranked among the top of the league all season long.
Cincinnati star Joe Burrow has made it clear to the Bengals front office that he wants them to go out and spend money to build a contender. So, having a strong free agency and a strong draft will be key to the Bengals returning to prominence in 2025
Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders were the best story of the 2024 NFL season. They had the second pick in the draft after winning four games in 2023 and completely flipped the script by winning 12 games in 2024 and reaching the NFC Championship game. Now, the Commanders will go from being the hunters to being the hunted, which is why nailing the 2025 free agency period will be key for them.
The Commanders have roughly $64 million, which is among the top of the league. They have already made moves during this off-season, trading for Deebo Samuel to bring in another weapon for star quarterback Jayden Daniels. However, there are plenty of defensive free agents who could bolster a Washington defense that gave up a lot of points at the end of the season. They could look to steal from their division rivals, signing players like Milton Williams or Zack Baun, who are both coming off a Super Bowl win in Philadelphia. They could also look to add the top defensive back option, D.J. Reed, from the New York Jets.
Simply put, Washington has the flexibility to go after multiple positions to fortify the team. Expectations will be high for the Commanders in 2025, and they have the ability the take the next step if they get free agency right.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers head into the offseason with roughly $60 million in cap space and have one of the biggest questions to face. Who is going to play quarterback for the Steelers? Russell Wilson and Justin Fields both started games for Pittsburgh last season, and both are free agents, so what will the Steelers do in free agency? Reports are that they will only bring one of the two back if they have to, but there will be other options as well.
Sam Darnold is a free agent who could be of interest to Pittsburgh if the team decides they are better off without Fields or Wilson. There will be a lot of interest in Darnold. The Steelers could also stand to add more playmakers as well. Players like Chris Godwin, Stefon Diggs, or Amari Cooper could be free agents the Steelers look at to add to their wide receiver room.
New York Giants
With roughly $50 million in cap space, the New York Giants will need to make the most of this NFL free agency. After two seasons of underwhelming results under coach Brian Daboll and General Manager Joe Schoen, both Daboll and Schoen are effectively on the hot seat. They must nail this free agency, and like the Steelers, it starts with the quarterback position for New York.
After making the chase and missing out on Matthew Stafford, the Giants will need to figure out who is going to play quarterback for them. There will be multiple free-agent offensive linemen they will also look at to make sure whoever plays quarterback will be protected.
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are coming off a 14-win season that resulted in an embarrassing first-round playoff loss to the LA Rams. If the Vikings want to remain a contender in the NFC, they will have to nail their free agency.
Though they drafted J.J. McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 draft, they struck gold with Darnold and had to make a decision on whether to re-sign him. The Vikings also had one of the top defenses in the NFL last season, and most of the players on that defense are free agents, so they will need to sort that out to make sure they remain contenders in 2025.
Main Image: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
