TThe NFL didn’t become America’s most powerful entertainment machine just by playing football games. The league’s free agency and draft seasons are practically as big a cultural bonanza as anything that happens from September through February, and this year is no exception.
Several high-priced starting quarterbacks are switching teams. One of the sport’s most talented running backs has decided to head south on Interstate 95 from New York to eastern Pennsylvania. The Atlanta Falcons have made a push for relevance after years in the wilderness. And the 2024 season took a drastically different shape. Here are five of the splashiest and most consequential moves teams have made so far.
The Falcons land Kirk Cousins, the best available QB on the market
Cousins will never be mistaken for one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but he is miles ahead of the wreck that many teams are looking for. Cousins has always ranked in the top half of the league in a wide range of passing statistics and has proven to be adept at getting paid. At 35, he leaves Minnesota for a guaranteed contract worth $100 million with the Falcons, who will make Cousins their starter for at least two and even four years. Cousins is a huge upgrade over previous starter Desmond Ridder, and he should help an intriguing group of skill position players – tailback Bijan Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts and receiver Drake London – put up stats that better suit their natural talents .
This move leaves the Vikings in quarterback purgatory. Maybe they’ll draft one in April, but the 11th pick might not be early enough to land a long-term successor for Cousins. The scarcity of talent at the league’s most important position is why Cousins, in his mid-30s and with a torn Achilles tendon that ended his senior season, can still earn such a huge payday. In a putrid NFC South, Atlanta is now a threat.
Grade for the Falcons: B+
Grade for cousins: A+ for money, B+ for destination
Russell Wilson is going to the Steelers… for virtually nothing.
Lacking an early draft pick to land a prized rookie in this year’s draft, Pittsburgh needed a veteran to put pressure on disappointing third-year quarterback Kenny Pickett. In Wilson, they may have hit a relative jackpot. The Denver Broncos plan to pay Wilson nearly $40 million after cutting him (and one of the biggest contracts in football history). Wilson’s new salary was always intended to reduce the Broncos’ obligation to him, so he had no incentive to demand anything higher than the veteran minimum of $1.2 million. In terms of the NFL QB market, the Steelers are getting Wilson, a Super Bowl winner, in free agency.
How much Wilson has left in the tank is a matter of debate. He is no longer one of the league’s leading passers by a long shot. He takes a lot of sacks in the backfield, a flaw that followed him from the Seattle Seahawks to the Broncos and could be amplified behind a vulnerable Steelers offensive line. But Wilson played better last season than he did in his first Broncos campaign in 2022, and at $1.2 million, the Steelers don’t need him as a franchise tentpole. They just need him to be better than Pickett, who was one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL in 2023. Wilson should clear that bar by playing for a coach, who has never had a losing season.
Grade for the Steelers: B-
Grade for Wilson: A
The Raiders find a defensive anchor in Christian Wilkins
The most notable free agent signings this week have been on the offensive side of the ball, but Wilkins’ move to the Las Vegas Raiders should be one of the most impactful of the year. While other defensive stars received a one-year franchise tag designation that kept them from free agency, the defensive tackle was the best defender on the open market. Wilkins is a mauler of a rush defender who can also get behind the QB from the middle of the line, but the Miami Dolphins were subject to a kind of salary ceiling and couldn’t afford to keep Wilkins around.
So Wilkins heads to Las Vegas, where he seems culturally the ideal candidate for a franchise that, at its best, is all about tough physicality. A four-year contract worth $85 million guaranteed makes Wilkins one of the most expensive defensive players in football and gives the Raiders some hope of staying in games next season. The franchise does not have a long-term QB and plays in a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. You might as well double down on defense, and that’s exactly what Vegas has done here. The deal is great for Wilkins, who will get more guaranteed money than most people expect even though he’s joining a team with no clear path to the playoffs.
Grade for the Raiders: B+
Grade for Wilkins: B
Saquon Barkley remains in the NFC East, but not with New York
The Giants took Barkley with the second overall pick in 2017. After six years with Big Blue, Barkley left the organization for the most painful of destinations: Philadelphia. The Eagles signed him to a three-year pact that guarantees him $26 million and robs Giants fans of one of the few fun aspects of watching their team in recent years. Speaking of fans, Barkley’s collegiate supporters at Penn State, many of whom are also Eagles diehards, will be happy to cheer on a local hero-turned-adversary.
The NFL has long turned away from giving running backs big contracts, and Barkley is still half a decade removed from his best performance with the Giants. But he only turns 27 this season, and his superb conditioning and athleticism make him a good choice to remain productive behind an Eagles offensive line that is typically excellent. With future Hall of Fame center Jason Kelce retiring, the addition of Barkley is a reinforcement to ensure the Eagles continue to have one of the best running games in the league. The only grumble for Barkley is that the Eagles finished last season amid acrimony and he’s playing in an era where his running backs can’t command huge salaries.
Grade for the Eagles: B-
Grade for Barkley: B
The Eagles sign Bryce Huff, furthering a pipeline from New York to Philadelphia
Edge rusher Huff posted 10 sacks for the Jets last year, a true breakout season after totaling 7.5 in his first three years combined. The Eagles under general manager Howie Roseman love their pass rushers; two years ago the Eagles had 70 sacks, just two shy of the NFL’s single-season record. Roseman and company believe Huff, who turns 26 this season, fits into a long line of Eagles edge defenders who can get behind the QB and put him on the ground. Producers of double-digit bags don’t often hit the open market, and when they do, they often cost more than the $34 million in guarantees Philly gave to Huff.
There are reasons why Huff costs less than a typical young edge rusher who makes it to free agency. A former free agent, Huff is both a huge success story through perseverance and a player with a fairly limited track record. He put up strong QB pressure stats in 2022 and big sacks in 2023, but he’s not guaranteed to continue producing more than 10 sacks per year. Huff’s ability as a run defender is also questionable and contributed to the Eagles only giving him a three-year contract. The Eagles are betting that Huff will give them premium production at a slightly less than premium rate. He may also leave Aaron Rodgers’ side hustle.
Grade for the Eagles: C+
Grade for Huff: A-