The NFL free agent market is set to feature some of the most up-and-coming young players at their position — and at a time when teams across the league are loaded with cap space to spend, some of these free agents are about to get paid.
Between All-Pro talents and players who are ascending in their mid-20s, game-breakers are set to be available on both sides of the football when free agency begins in March.
FanBuzz spoke to agents and coaches around the NFL to get a feel for the five players most likely to cash in on mega-contracts this offseason.
Chris Jones
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Chris Jones is a potential future Hall of Famer with a resumé that could be bolstered in Super Bowl LVIII. That makes him the type of player at a premium position who can alter the trajectory of an entire franchise.
Jones has proved instrumental to the Chiefs' run back to the Super Bowl this season, producing 10.5 sacks and 30 total tackles in his eighth NFL season. With him having the versatility to line up at defensive end or along the interior, few linemen produce more-consistent pressure on the quarterback than Jones does.
At age 29, this is likely Jones' last chance to cash in on a potentially record-breaking contract. Expect a strong market for Jones that could push his value upward of between $28-32 million annually. Teams with the most cap space to spend and a need along the defensive line could drive up Jones' market value.
Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins' impending free agency is going to be fascinating.
Despite the fact that there is a loaded quarterback draft class, Cousins could benefit both from the Minnesota Vikings potentially aiming to retain and continue building around him as well as from franchises being flush with cap space but just out of reach of the draft's top signal-callers.
Cousins is coming off a torn Achilles tendon that cut his 2023 season short in Week 8. But he has surpassed 4,000 passing yards in seven of his past nine seasons, and he was well on his way to repeating that feat prior to getting hurt. Even at age 35, Cousins is the type of quarterback who pairs productivity with experience, and he could work with a roster with young weapons on the cusp of breaking through to take them to the next level.
Tee Higgins
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The Bengals have boasted one of the the premier wide receiver trios in the league the past four seasons, and Tee Higgins still found a way to carve out a significant niche in a crowded receiver room that includes superstar Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd.
Higgins has bean a model of consistency, averaging 291 receiving yards and six touchdowns per season through the first four seasons of his career. One NFL offensive coach believes Higgins' best days remain in front of him, at age 25, but he might need to land in the right situation to reach his full potential.
"He's a very good player," the coach told FanBuzz. "He's at his best when he can be an extremely high-level No. 2 receiver, rather than being thrust into a No. 1 role. Wherever he lands, there's no reason he can't be a mid-tier No. 1; but, although he's productive, I don't think he's the most dynamic out there."
In an era when teams are flush with cap space and attempting to surround quarterbacks with as many high-end weapons as possible, Higgins could be in for a big raise and a more prominent role than ever in 2024.
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Michael Pittman
It's rare when a wide receiver hits free agency in the midst of ascending in his career, rather than at a point where teams risk paying a premium for past production. That just happens to be the situation for Michael Pittman.
One agent familiar with the wide receiver market mentioned Pittman as the player most likely to secure a mega-deal. In his fourth NFL season, Pittman hit his stride, catching a career-high 109 passes for 1,152 yards with four touchdowns. Pittman surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for just the second time in his career, despite playing much of the season catching passes from veteran journeyman quarterback Gardner Minshew.
The Colts' 2020 second-round pick, Pittman, 28, is the type of top-of-the-depth-chart receiver who has the potential to dramatically change the outlook of an offense.
Josh Allen
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In more ways than one, Jaguars edge rusher Josh Allen is set to become a free agent at the perfect time. One prominent NFL agent suggests to FanBuzz that Allen could reset the pass-rusher market.
Not only is Allen coming off the most dominant and productive season of his career — posting a personal-best 17.5 sacks while adding 90 total quarterback pressures — but the combination of a thin NFL Draft class and crop of free agents also could make Allen the best player available at the position.
Through the first five seasons of his career, Allen has produced 45 sacks with 251 total tackles and a pair of interceptions. Hitting the open market at age 26, Allen has significantly more upside to offer, which will make him one of the most coveted free agents available.
