How NFL teams spent their money (or didn’t) during the legal tampering period

The start of the 2025 NFL league year arrived at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, but deals were being agreed to before that.

Some free agents reached those deals during the 52-hour legal tampering window, while others could sign with new teams before Monday as they had been released by their former team. All of those contracts can now be officially signed.

As players and their agents put pen to paper on those agreements, let’s take a look at the amount of money that was dolled out in free agency during the legal tampering period and in the days prior, with all numbers coming from Spotrac. 

Nearly $3 billion: With the NFL’s salary cap increasing by more than $23 million this offseason, it was a good offseason to be a free agent. In the time before the new league year alone, free agents agreed to contracts worth $2,735,595,500 in total value. For reference, David Tepper bought the Carolina Panthers for $2.28 billion in 2018. Furthermore, only two NFL franchises have been sold for more than $2.735 billion.

48.2: At least 48.2% of the money in the free-agent deals agreed to prior to the new league year was guaranteed ($1,319,097,500). That number isn’t official, though, as the guaranteed money for a few major deals (Will Fries, Chase Young, Tre’von Moehrig) is still unknown. While $1.319 billion is a lot of money, it trails the amount of total money that MLB free agents ($3.374 billion) and NBA free agents ($2.833 billion) received in their most recent offseasons. It is a higher amount than what NHL free agents ($976.86 million) received last offseason, though.

$33.5 million: Sam Darnold’s move to the Emerald City was the priciest move during the legal tampering period, at least in terms of average annual value (AAV). The former Minnesota Vikings quarterback agreed to a three-year, $100.5 million deal to join the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, making the AAV of the deal $33.5 million. As of Wednesday, that number is the 18th-highest among all quarterbacks. The contract also has $55 million in guaranteed money. 

$63 million: No player was a bigger winner during the legal tampering period than Milton Williams. He agreed to a four-year, $104 million deal with the New England Patriots, which included $63 million in guaranteed money. That’s the highest among all players who have agreed to a deal in free agency. Additionally, Williams’ $26 million average annual value is the third-highest among all defensive tackles. While Williams had a breakout campaign in 2024, he didn’t play more than 50% of the defensive snaps in any of his four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s also the largest contract in Patriots history.

5: There haven’t been many long-term commitments made in free agency so far. Guard Will Fries’ five-year, $88 million pact to leave the Indianapolis Colts for the Vikings is the only contract that’s longer than four years. Only seven other players have agreed to a contract that’s at least four years long before the new league year. 

$20.35 million: While some believed there was a running back revolution in the 2024 season, that hasn’t carried into NFL free agency. There was only $20.35 million in total value spent on running backs in free agency by the end of the legal tampering window. Najee Harris‘ one-year, $5.25 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers is the richest in terms of total value, but there’s also an additional $4 million in incentives on the contract. Samaje Perine‘s two-year, $3.6 million pact to re-join the Cincinnati Bengals and Ty Johnson’s two-year, $5 million contract with the Buffalo Bills are the only multi-year deals so far for running backs in free agency. Only $5.25 million has been guaranteed.

$22 million: In terms of average annual value, Chris Godwin and Davante Adams are the wide receivers who’ve earned the richest deals in free agency. Godwin opted to re-up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a three-year, $66 million deal. His $44 million guaranteed was the most for a free-agent wide receiver. Adams signed a two-year, $44 million deal to join the Los Angeles Rams. That included $26 million in guaranteed money. Wide receiver was the sixth-richest position in free agency ahead of the new league year, with $243.7 million in total value and $127.44 million guaranteed.

$472.5 million: Cornerbacks have been the biggest winners so far in free agency. When the new league year began on Wednesday, the total value of the contracts for cornerbacks was $472.5 million, which was the highest of any position. They also received $263.8 million in guaranteed money in free agency by the end of the legal tampering period. Coincidentally, Paulson Adebo, Carlton Davis, Charvarius Ward and Byron Murphy Jr. all inked the same contract, with each agreeing to a three-year, $54 million deal. Those four deals are tied for the 13th-highest among all corners in AAV.

$254.8 million: While offensive tackle is perceived to be a more important position, guards made the most money of the three positions along the offensive line in free agency prior to the start of the new league year. Guards agreed to contracts worth $254.8 million in total value, while offensive tackles agreed to deals worth $178.5 million in total value. That discrepancy could be explained by the Baltimore Ravens‘ re-signing of Ronnie Stanley (three years, $60 million) and the Rams’ re-signing of Alaric Jackson (three years, $56.3 million) ahead of free agency, as neither contract counts toward the offensive tackle total.

$150.7 million: Centers also had a nice time in free agency ahead of the new league year, raking in $150.7 million in total value. The three-year, $42 million deal Drew Dalman agreed to with the Chicago Bears was the richest at the position, making him the second-highest-paid center in AAV.

$61.5 million: Of the non-special teams positions, tight ends had the second-toughest time earning money in free agency by the end of the legal tampering window. They only received $61.5 million in total value of their contracts before 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, with $34.5 million of that being guaranteed. Juwan Johnson’s three-year, $30.75 million deal to stay with the New Orleans Saints was the only contract agreed to during the legal tampering window in which the AAV was higher than $10 million for a tight end.

$777 million: Beyond cornerback, the other positions that teams invested the most in ahead of the new league year were in the defensive trenches. Free-agent edge rushers ($386.7 million) and defensive tackles ($380.3 million) agreed to $777 million worth of deals during the legal tampering window. While Williams’ contract with the Patriots was the richest among defensive tackles, his former Eagles teammate Josh Sweat agreed to the largest deal among all edge rushers. But his four-year, $76.1 million contract is only the 14th-highest for an edge rusher in terms of AAV.

$298.9 million: Safeties also had a good time in free agency during the legal tampering period and in the weeks before. Players at that position earned $298.9 million in total contracts. Camryn Bynum’s four-year, $60 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts led the way at the position. 

3: Not many teams were in a rush to add a special teamer in free agency before the start of the new league year. Zero kickers were signed during the legal tampering window while three punters were signed during that time. 

$0: The Eagles were the only team to not make a free-agent deal during the legal tampering period.

$277.6 million: No team was more aggressive in the legal tampering period than the Patriots. They spent $277.6 million in free-agent contracts in terms of total value. The Vikings spent the second-most at $222 million, which doesn’t include the $30 million contract they gave to defensive tackle Javon Hargrave after the new league year. The New York Giants ($180.8 million) paid out the third-most, while the Panthers ($155.9 million) and Jacksonville Jaguars ($142 million) round out the top five in the total value of free-agent contracts prior to the start of the new league year. Of the 10 teams that spent the most money in that period, eight of them didn’t make the playoffs in 2024.

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