NFL Free Agency primer: Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Sam Darnold to make big decisions on next teams

The NFL's free agency negotiating window opens Monday at noon in the lead-up to the start of the new league year on Wednesday, as some of the league's biggest players have some big decisions to make. 

Big-name quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Sam Darnold will be among the biggest stories of free agency, as all three will test the open market in search of their next teams. Justin Fields is the other quarterback in this free agent class that will also prompt curiosity from teams, as they determine whether he can be a starter in 2025. 

Outside of quarterbacks, star edge rushers Joey Bosa, Kahlil Mack and Josh Sweat, defensive tackle Milton Williams, and wide receiver Josh Godwin will be the highly-coveted position players that teams will bid for this week. 

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For several teams, the upcoming week will be under heavy scrutiny by the media and fans. The New York Giants, New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals are among the teams that will have the most eyeballs on them as they look to navigate a consequential free agency. 

The Giants, after finishing with their worst record of the modern era, are in search of a new quarterback after moving on from Daniel Jones in the middle of last season. Despite holding the third overall pick in the upcoming draft, the Giants have been linked to potential veterans like Rodgers and Wilson. ESPN's Jordan Ranaan even reports that it is "likely" the Giants end up with Rodgers. The Giants only have $47.6 million in cap space to work with. 

The Patriots have the potential to be the league's biggest spenders this offseason, with the most salary cap space among all teams at nearly $130 million. The Patriots are looking to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021 and only the second time since the departure of Tom Brady, and will look to put the pieces around second-year quarterback Drake Maye and new head coach Mike Vrabel. 

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The Bengals will be looking to bounce back from back-to-back seasons of missing the playoffs as they look to keep their offensive core intact around Joe Burrow. The team placed the franchise tag on wide receiver Tee Higgins for the second year in a row, as it looks to lock up its offensive weapons in Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase with long-term deals. The Bengals have $62 million in cap space to work with. 

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings have one of the biggest decisions in the league, and one that is likely to affect the options and strategies of other teams. After Darnold led Minnesota to the playoffs this past season but played poorly in their playoff loss and their division title-deciding loss the week prior, the Vikings will need to decide whether to re-sign the veteran quarterback. 

The Vikings drafted former Michigan National Champion J.J. McCarthy in last year's draft, and many assumed McCarthy would be the team's quarterback of the future. However, after a surprisingly good season from Darnold, it might not be that simple, and if Minnesota does bring the veteran back, it could mean McCarthy becomes available for a trade. 

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