2025 NFL Offseason Fantasy Football Predictions

The NFL season is dwindling, and before you know it, the offseason will be upon us. The first domino to fall is always the coaches, and while that's fun, it doesn't compare to the player movement that will happen through the spring and summer.

Predicting offseason moves is always tricky, as are mock drafts. Is this based on what the writer thinks will happen? Or maybe it's based on what the writer thinks should happen. Those are often two different things.

Here, we'll be trying to feather the needle and do both -- focusing on the moves that could and should happen. If it only checks one box, get it out of here. It's got to meet both criteria. Let's get to some offseason predictions.

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Michael Pittman Jr. is Traded

This one feels easy. Pittman has two more years remaining on his contract, but a trade would save the Colts $13 million. They'd also take on $10 million of dead cap. However, Pittman is coming off the worst season since his rookie year.

That's not all his fault. He dealt with a fractured back and significant issues at the quarterback position, but the Colts are a team in transition. They have many holes to fill. That $13 million and the draft picks they'd get back from trading him would go a long way.

It's not just that, though. The Colts drafted Adonai Mitchell in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and they might want to get him on the field more. Josh Downs was drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft and has back-to-back seasons of 750 or more yards. They also have Alec Pierce, their second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

They already have three younger receivers on their roster. Downs is a quality and proven receiver. Pierce is mostly just a sacrificial X-receiver, but that's an important role. If they feel confident in Mitchell, Pittman could become expendable. A team like the New England Patriots, with a young quarterback needing dependable pass-catchers, would likely be interested.

Tee Higgins Stays in Cincinnati

The Bengals have just under $50 million in cap space. If they were to cut Sam Hubbard, Sheldon Rankins, Alex Cappa, Germaine Pratt, Geno Stone, Ted Karras, and Zack Moss, their cap space would balloon to $95 million. They'd only take on just over $13 million in dead cap by cutting those seven players but would gain $45 million in cap space.

If they only cut some of them, the savings would be less, but they can still quickly reach $75 million without restructuring Joe Burrow's contract, which is another option. The point is that they have the cash to sign Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Higgins might want $30 million per year like Brandon Aiyuk, but Jaylen Waddle got just over $28 million a year, DJ Moore got $27.5 million a year, and DeVonta Smith got $25 million. I'd expect Cincinnati to want to stay between $26 million to $28 million per year. While Higgins may not like that, Cincinnati could threaten a second franchise tag at $26 million per year to get him to come to the table.

Amon-Ra St. Brown also got $30 million a year, so I'd argue that Aiyuk (probably) didn't deserve his.

#Bengals QB Joe Burrow on impending FA Tee Higgins: "You don't want to make a habit of letting great players get out of the building. ... You just can't let him get out of the building."

Message sent.pic.twitter.com/1Ul5TpSfVt

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 5, 2025

Burrow has advocated for Higgins to re-sign, and I think Cincinnati will get it done for around $28 million annually. It'll continue to build around Burrow, Higgins, and Chase.

Chris Godwin Signs in Carolina

Bryce Young showed signs of life at the end of the season. That probably isn't doing him justice. He played well and has earned the chance to be the starter in 2025. What he needs, however, are better pass-catchers.

Godwin is 29 years old. He has a torn ACL and just dislocated his ankle this season. He's a free agent, and with the strong play of rookie Jalen McMillan down the stretch, Tampa Bay could bid him farewell. If that happens, expect Carolina to be interested.

It traded for Diontae Johnson last offseason, but that didn't work out. Carolina's head coach, Dave Canales, was in Tampa Bay with Godwin and is familiar with him. That relationship makes them an ideal pairing.

Amari Cooper Signs With Washington

Dan Quinn was in Dallas as the defensive coordinator while Cooper was there. Washington is coming off a surprisingly successful season with Quinn in his first season as the head coach and Jayden Daniels as a rookie.

The No. 2 pass-catcher was Zach Ertz. The No. 2 receiver was a mixture of Noah Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus. Cooper is older now and may not be as good as he once was, but I still have faith in Cooper's ability to be a quality receiver.

He had a rough season in 2024. He had to deal with Deshaun Watson's incompetence and was traded to Buffalo. He missed a few games with a wrist injury and never found his footing in an offense built around spreading the ball.

Cooper would make an ideal running mate for Terry McLaurin and would give Daniels another competent pass-catcher to lean on. Cooper and Quinn have been on the same team in the past, so this move can and should happen.

Davante Adams is Released and Signs With Green Bay

This is the big one. Adams is likely to be released by the Jets. If he is, he'll have plenty of suitors. While many might think his game is declining, I'd urge you to reconsider. Over the past three seasons, Adams has caught balls from Derek Carr, Aidan O'Connell, Jimmy Garoppolo, and a washed-up version of Aaron Rodgers.

His coaches have been Josh McDaniels (fired), Antonio Pierce (fired), and Robert Salah (fired). He's played for four coaches in three seasons. He's had five offensive coordinators in three seasons. Think about how bad his environments have been since he left Green Bay before the 2022 season. It's been awful.

Despite that, Adams has 68 more catches, 340 more yards, and the same number of touchdowns as Mike Evans. He's caught balls from Tom Brady and Baker Mayfield, who have been on an absolute heater for the past two seasons. Since 2022, Adams has been second in targets, 12th in receptions, ninth in receiving yards, and third in receiving touchdowns per game.

He can still play, and the Packers have a massive need at receiver. The Packers have $60 million in cap space and can afford to bring him home.

While the Packers historically have not ventured into free agency, since Brian Gutekunst took over, they've signed Za'Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Adrian Amos, Billy Turner, Josh Jacobs, and Xavier McKinney. If he identifies a need, he'll fill it.

What do the #Packers NEED to focus on this offseason???

Davante Adams: "It's looking right now like they might need some receiver help in one way or the other... Maybe a veteran or something we'll see."@tae15adams @heykayadams @packers @MSGNetworks | #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/xYLISbJFFA

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) January 14, 2025

A wide receiver is a need. The draft doesn't offer any surefire Day 1 options. If Higgins stays in Cincinnati, free agency doesn't provide any appealing options. Godwin is primarily a slot receiver, which overlaps too much with Jayden Reed, which doesn't make him a good fit.

Broken down per game, GB’s best 2 WRs, the past 2 seasons are average 5.2 targets, 3.4 receptions, 45.3 yards & 0.41 TDs per game.

Since leaving GB, Adams is averaging 10.3 targets, 6.0 receptions, 77.5 yards & 0.62 TDs per game.

Adams = GB’s top-2 WRs on a per game basis

— Rob (@RobFFSlayer) January 14, 2025

Green Bay needs a No. 1 receiver. It needs someone Jordan Love can trust. Someone to move the chains. Someone to get the tough yards and win one-on-one matchups. Enter Adams, one of the best to do it. What a beautiful homecoming.

Sam Darnold is Franchised

If you play fantasy football, you've no doubt seen the "Family Guy" boat analogy. If not, you can see it below. The point is that sometimes teams move on from players just hoping the player they're moving onto ends up as good as the player they let go of.

We know nothing about J.J. McCarthy. We know Darnold played well and fits Kevin O'Connell's system. He led the Vikings to a 14-3 record. That doesn't just happen. Yes, the playoff game was terrible, but does that erase all the good he did throughout the season? I'd say not.

Due to his injury, McCarthy didn't get as much practice time as a rookie behind Darnold. That also limited O'Connell's ability to assess who and what they had in him. Getting another year to look makes sense. While Darnold may have earned a Baker Mayfield or Geno Smith type of deal, Minnesota hopes to have its long-term option, which might not be ideal. The franchise tag works perfectly.

Sam Darnold played his worst ball in prime time. And I still don’t think it actually cost him $$$ because the Vikings likely were going to franchise tag him anyways. I don’t think that changes because of tonight, as bad as it was.

— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) January 14, 2025

The Vikings get another year to look at McCarthy. After Darnold's last two games, they don't need to commit any long-term money to him. Darnold won't like it, but he doesn't have much of a choice. He gets a big payday and plays under O'Connell's tutelage again, the only coach who has ever brought him to play well, so it's not the end of the world.

Justin Fields Signs in Cleveland

The Browns are stuck with Deshaun Watson's contract for at least another season. They have the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft, but they're far from competing. Does it make sense to draft a lesser prospect just to pick a quarterback?

I'd argue it doesn't. With Tennessee most likely taking a quarterback, take Abdul Carter, the best player in this year's draft in my opinion, and by far the best pass-rusher, to keep it simple. If not, then trade down and collect more draft assets.

That still leaves them figuring out the quarterback position. They need a starter for 2025, and Justin Fields needs a job. Given how he's played early in his career, he's unlikely to get any long looks as a starter. Cleveland can give him that opportunity.

This is a win-win. For Fields, it gets him a chance to get on the field. Cleveland will likely be able to acquire Fields for a cheap, one-year, prove-it deal. That's important because of how much money it has invested in Watson.

Marquise Brown Stays in Kansas City

Brown signed a one-year prove-it deal with Kansas City last year. That got derailed when he suffered his shoulder injury. He returned late in the year and played well. Both parties should be interested in running the same type of deal again.

For Brown, how much better can it get than playing for Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes? He has a year in the offense. He's familiar with the system now. For Kansas City, Travis Kelce is another year older. Rashee Rice is looking at a multiple-game suspension. That leaves it with just Xavier Worthy. Brown would give it depth, insurance, and a veteran presence at receiver.

All the reasons this combination made sense in 2024 are still present this offseason. They'll both agree to run it back one more time.

Mac Jones Signs with the Indianapolis Colts

With Anthony Richardson's inability to throw an accurate football and the injury concerns, Indianapolis must take its backup quarterback position seriously. More seriously than other organizations.

Given Richardson's struggles throwing the football accurately, if he doesn't improve (significantly), he's unlikely to play an entire season for the Colts in 2025. That makes it imperative they have a quality option behind him.

Jones struggled in his final years with New England. It had terrible pass-catchers, an inadequate offensive line, and some of the worst offensive coaching in the NFL. It was just a no-good, horrible environment. Jones looked better in Jacksonville late last season in relief of Trevor Lawrence. He won't be a star or even very good. However, he's capable. He can at least operate a competent offense.

He has some limitations, but he's a younger guy and would provide Indianapolis with some insurance at the quarterback position. Some may clamor for Justin Fields because his skill set matches Richardson's, so it wouldn't need to change the offense.

That's true, but I think that's precisely why it won't target him. Fields have the same limitations Richardson has. Jones is everything that Richardson is not, which could appeal to it.

Christian Kirk is Released and Signs With the Cowboys

The Cowboys have a lot of holes on their roster. That will come as no surprise, but it's to say that they can't fill all of them in the draft. One of the more significant needs is finding a quality pass-catcher alongside CeeDee Lamb.

With Brian Thomas Jr.'s ascension as a rookie and Jacksonville still tied to Gabe Davis, look for it to cut Christian Kirk this offseason. If it designates him as a post-June 1 cut, it'll save over $16 million.

Kirk and Lamb both primarily play in the slot, so the fit isn't perfect, but it's better than nothing. There's been too much pressure on Lamb and Dak Prescott for too long to carry this offense. Kirk won't drastically change that, but he can provide some assistance.

That's a lot more than what they are getting currently. Jalen Tolbert and Brandin Cooks have not been nearly good enough. I'd also look for the Cowboys to draft a running back and a receiver despite the potential addition of Kirk.

Keenan Allen Returns to the Chargers

Allen has said he's either playing for the Bears or Chargers or retiring. When he was traded to the Bears, his family didn't move to Chicago; they stayed in Los Angeles. The Bears, with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, don't seem a firm fit.

Allen had his moments, but the Bears are better off using that money on the offensive line than on a third, aging receiver. Allen has his limitations due to his age and lack of downfield speed. However, he's still a savvy route runner with strong hands.

Some might think this fit doesn't make sense because they have Ladd McConkey, but I implore you that McConkey is not just a slot receiver. Allen and McConkey can coexist, but in reality, Allen is more of a part-time player at this stage of his career.

The Chargers need more offensive weapons and will indeed look to the draft to accomplish that, but if Allen is willing to take a hometown discount deal, this move makes sense.

Justin Herbert has familiarity with Allen. He's a dependable veteran receiver for what is likely to be a very young group of pass-catchers. He adds some insurance on the off chance that the 2025 pick isn't as successful or ready as McConkey. For Allen, he gets to retire a Charger and play football near his family.

Allen will need to take a pay cut to complete this, but if he's willing to do that -- and it sounds like he might -- then this makes a lot of sense for both parties.

Other Predictions

• Kyle Pitts is traded
• Darius Slayton garners more interest and a larger contract than expected
• Aaron Jones returns to Minnesota
• Najee Harris returns to Pittsburgh
• Tyreek Hill stays in Miami
• Stefon Diggs re-signs in Houston

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