2025 Free Agent Signing Grades

On this page, I’m going to be providing the free agent signing grades for the notable signings and extensions that occur in 2025 (most recent first) based on how good a deal the signing team obtained and the type of impact I expect the player to have. Please note that an offseason signing cannot be made official until the new league year starts on March 12 unless the player is remaining with his current team or his previous team already released him. The page will be updated as more signings are reported. Use control-F (Windows), command-F (Mac), or Find in Page (mobile) to search for a specific player

February 20, 2025

Chargers Re-Sign DB Elijah Molden:
Some of these early signings are good because they’re done before the players can test the market and start bidding wars. Case in point, the Chargers are getting a bargain here by signing Molden to a 3-year, $18.75M contract with $13.5M guaranteed. Molden can play either at safety or in the slot, and he’s effective in both roles. Last season, his first with LAC, he set career bests with 3 INTs, 7 PBUs, 2 fumble recoveries, and 75 tackles. Clearly, he fits DC Jesse Minter’s scheme well, and he’s very young at just 26. Given the value of the deal and the likelihood that Molden will play at a high level throughout it, I’m bullish on this signing.
Grade: A+

Bengals Re-Sign P Ryan Rekhow:
Despite being a rookie last year, Rekhow’s contract was only one year as his initial UDFA deal came with Kansas City. However, that setup allowed Cincinnati to keep him as an exclusive rights free agent, and they have done so with a 2-year, $2.035M contract. Rekhow was the top rookie P last year in terms of several metrics, and he easily beat former 6th-round pick Brad Robbins during camp. Although the Bengals’ great offense meant that they didn’t punt very often, when Rekhow was called upon, he delivered. This is a very cheap contract, so there’s no downside to it. In fact, it’s likely to work out rather well as the Bengals invest big money at other positions.
Grade: A

February 18, 2025

Panthers Re-Sign QB Andy Dalton:
Our first notable signing of 2025 is a backup QB! The 37-year-old Dalton is back on a 2-year, $8M deal with $6M guaranteed and a maximum value of $10M. This is a slight drop from his 2-year, $11M contract that he signed in 2023. Dalton had a surprisingly eventful year in 2024 because the Panthers benched Bryce Young after 2 games. The Red Rifle shined in his first appearance before fizzling due to a lack of surrounding talent. A thumb injury ended his brief time as the starter, but Carolina clearly views him as Young’s mentor moving forward. I am fond of this decision, as Dalton seems to be a very good influence on the former #1 pick. Normally, I’d discuss how well a backup can come in and win games. Dalton is perfectly equipped to do that, but the Panthers are still not ready to truly compete. Their #2 QB has to be a teacher first and a player second, and that’s what makes Dalton a good fit. He has a rapport with Young and the team, which should only improve moving forward.
Grade: A