Who Are the Top Free Agents in the NFL?

The NFL offseason is in full swing and there are a number of big name free agents still on the market. Who are the top free agents available?

Tom Brady

Tom Brady is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He is considered to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. After spending 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, Brady signed with the Buccaneers in 2020.

Overview

Thomas Edward Patrick Brady, Jr. (born August 3, 1977), is an American football quarterback who plays for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He is one of only two players to win five Super Bowls (the other being defensive end Charles Haley), and he is the only player to win them all playing for one team. Brady has also been honored with four Super Bowl MVP awards (Super Bowl XXXVI, XXXVIII, XLIX, and LI), the most ever by a single player, has won two league MVP awards (2007 and 2010), has been selected to eleven Pro Bowls, and has led his team to more division titles (17) than any other quarterback in NFL history.

Career highlights

4× Super Bowl champion (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX)
2× NFL Most Valuable Player (2007, 2010)
2× Super Bowl MVP (XXXVI, XXXIX)
6× AFC Championship Game MVP (2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2014)
3× First-team All-Pro (2007, 2010, 2017)
14× Pro Bowl (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007–2016)

Why he’s a free agent

Tom Brady will be a free agent for the first time in his career after spending 20 seasons with the New England Patriots. The 42-year-old quarterback is coming off one of the best seasons of his Hall of Fame career, as he led the Patriots to a 12-4 record and threw for 4,355 yards and 29 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions.

Brady will be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins on March 18. That means that he can sign with any team, without the Patriots being able to match the offer or receive compensation in return.

Here are five teams that could make sense for Brady as he enters free agency:

1. Los Angeles Chargers
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3. Las Vegas Raiders
4. Chicago Bears
5. Indianapolis Colts

Drew Brees

The New Orleans Saints quarterback is one of the most sought-after free agents in the NFL. He is a Super Bowl champion and was named the Super Bowl MVP in 2010. He has been selected to 11 Pro Bowls and is a six-time NFL passing yards leader.

Overview

Drew Brees is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He had a productive career with the San Diego Chargers from 2001 to 2005. He then signed with the Saints as a free agent in 2006. Brees has been selected to 11 Pro Bowls, was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2008 and 2011, and was named Super Bowl MVP in 2010 after leading the Saints to their first Super Bowl championship. In 2018, he became the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards.

Career highlights

Drew Brees is a professional American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played for the San Diego Chargers from 2001 to 2005. He was drafted by the Chargers in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft after a successful college career with the Purdue Boilermakers, where he was honored as both an All-American and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.

Brees has been selected to 11 Pro Bowls in his career, which is tied for second all time for NFL quarterbacks. He has led the Saints to nine playoff appearances, six NFC South division championships, and one Super Bowl Championship. He holds many of the Saints franchise records, as well as NFL records. Brees holds the title of NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards (74,437), passing touchdowns (520), completed passes (6,586), and 300-yard passing games (105).

Why he’s a free agent

Drew Brees is one of the most notable free agents in the NFL this offseason. The longtime Saints quarterback is set to hit the open market after signing a two-year, $50 million extension with New Orleans last year.

Brees, who will turn 42 in January, is coming off a 2020 campaign in which he completed 70.5 percent of his passes for 2,941 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also ran for four touchdowns.

Brees has said he wants to play until he’s 45, but it’s unclear if he’ll be able to find another team willing to give him a starting job at that age. If Brees does retire, he’ll do so as one of the most decorated quarterbacks in NFL history.

J.J. Watt

J.J. Watt is one of the most well-known free agents in the NFL. He is a defensive end for the Houston Texans. He is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and a five-time Pro Bowl selection. He is also a two-time First-team All-Pro. He is one of the most sought-after free agents in the NFL.

Overview

J.J. Watt is a professional American football player who plays defensive end for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Texans with the 11th pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and played college football at Wisconsin.

Watt is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, four-time first-team All-Pro, and four-time Pro Bowl selection. In his first five seasons in the league, he helped transform the Texans from one of the NFL’s worst teams to a division champion and playoff contender. He holds many NFL records, including most career sacks (97) by a player in his first five seasons and most sacks (20.5) in a season by a player in their career. Watt has also led the league in tackles for loss three times: in 2012, 2014, and 2015.

Career highlights

J.J. Watt was drafted by the Houston Texans with the 11th pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin, and was awarded the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lombardi Award, and Ted Hendricks Award in his final year.

Watt has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times, and has been named first-team All-Pro four times. He is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and was the NFL sacks leader in 2012 and 2015. He has led the league in tackles for loss twice, and is second all time in quarterback hits. In 2014, he became the first player in NFL history to record two 20+ sack seasons in a career.

Why he’s a free agent

Watt, who will turn 32 in March, was drafted by the Houston Texans with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He has played his entire career with the Texans and is a three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year. He’s also a five-time Pro Bowler and a five-time First-team All-Pro.

Watt has been one of the best defensive players in the NFL over his 10-year career, but he’s also dealt with injuries, including a torn pectoral muscle that limited him to just eight games in 2019. He also missed most of the 2016 season with a back injury.

Jadeveon Clowney

Overview

Jadeveon Clowney is a defensive end who most recently played for the Seattle Seahawks. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the 2014 NFL Draft with the first overall pick. Clowney is a five-time Pro Bowler and was named First-team All-Pro in 2016. He has recorded 319 tackles, fifty-nine sacks, and seventeen forced fumbles in his career.

Clowney became a free agent in 2020 after his contract with the Seahawks expired. He is currently unsigned but is widely considered to be one of the top free agents in the NFL.

Career highlights

-Drafted first overall in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans
-Consensus All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2012
-6x Pro Bowl selection (2014-2019)
-2x First-team All-Pro selection (2016, 2018)

Why he’s a free agent

Jadeveon Clowney is one of the top free agents in the NFL. He is a free agent because he was not tendered a contract by the Seattle Seahawks, making him an unrestricted free agent. Clowney was drafted by the Texans with the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He has played for both the Texans and Seahawks, but has been plagued by injuries throughout his career.