The 2024 NFL free agent market will open when the new league year begins on March 13. With the NFL salary cap hitting $255.4 million next season, teams around the league should have plenty of available cash to spend on free agent additions. Pro Football Network has ranked the top 100 pending free agents, accounting for production, age, earning potential, and short- and long-term value. While some players listed near the top will inevitably be franchise-tagged and effectively removed from the market, this year’s class features high-end talent at numerous positions. Editor’s note: The following players were available as of the start of the NFL’s legal tampering period on Monday, March 11.
2024 NFL Free Agent Rankings
- Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings
- Chris Jones, DT, Kansas City Chiefs
- Josh Allen, EDGE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Signed with Falcons: Four years, $180 million, $90 million guaranteed. Although Cousins is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury, he was on pace for one of his best campaigns before going down. Cousins put up 18 touchdowns against four interceptions through eight games and is now believed to be ahead of schedule in his recovery program. Top-12 quarterbacks rarely hit the free agent market, and Cousins could be in for $35 million annually on a short-term contract. The Vikings can’t franchise-tag him, but they’ve expressed interest in re-signing the 35-year-old. Still, Cousins could make sense for several teams around the NFL, including the Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Re-signed with Chiefs: Five years, $158.75 million, $60 million guaranteed. Jones staged a holdout before agreeing to a modified one-year deal to play for the Chiefs in 2023. With the franchise tag an unlikely possibility, Jones will hit unrestricted free agency after posting 26 sacks over the past two seasons. He tied for the league lead in pass rush win rate among defensive tackles (20%) while being double-teamed at a higher clip than any other DT.
Franchise-tagged before re-signing with Jaguars: Five years, $141.25 million, $76.5 million guaranteed. A first-round pick in the 2019 draft, Allen picked an excellent time to break out. His 17.5 sacks were a career-high, while his 90 pressures ranked fifth among all edge defenders and first among FA defensive ends. However, the odds of Allen actually reaching the open market are slim. General manager Trent Baalke has already suggested the Jaguars will use the DE franchise tag to retain Allen this offseason.
