The official start of the 2025 NFL season is quickly approaching. The league year and free agency will open at 4 p.m. on March 12. Teams will begin signing free agents, and any trades agreed to before the new league year will become official on that date.
Before the league year officially kicks off, there are a couple of other key dates to remember. Teams must designate franchise players by March 4. The NFL also has a legal negotiating window from March 10 to 12, during which teams can begin contacting and negotiating with the agents of unrestricted free agents. We’ll hear deals breaking during that window, even though they can’t become official until March 12.
It’s time to start breaking down the 2025 free agency class, including Zach Ertz and Mike Gesicki at the tight end position. This year’s free agents are loosely ordered based on talent, age, plus previous and expected future fantasy relevance. Be sure to follow Fantasy Points throughout free agency for in-depth breakdowns of every major (and minor) move. We’ll track every off-season transaction from a fantasy perspective through our “Free Agency Tracker” articles and Graham Barfield’s “Fantasy Fallout” pieces.
Be sure to check out the Free Agency Previews for Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, and Running Backs…This article is powered by Fantasy Points Data. Subscribe now to get our to take your research to the next level.
Potentially Available
Noah Fant (Sea, 28)
The Seahawks re-signed Fant to a two-year, $21 million deal last off-season. Seattle is dealing with one of the worst cap situations in the league and could save $8.9 million by cutting Fant. He appeared set up for his biggest role with the Seahawks after Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson left in free agency, but he lost more snaps to fourth-round pick A.J. Barner than expected. Fant opened the season with a 69% snap share or better in four of his first six games before falling below that threshold in seven of his final eight games — he missed three contests due to a groin injury.
Fant posted 48/500/1 receiving (10.4 YPR) on 64 targets (12.5% share) to finish as the TE24 with 7.4 FPG. He played on 64% of the snaps and averaged 1.39 YPRR in 14 contests. Fant averaged just 18.5 routes per game in his first 34 games with the Seahawks before running 25.6 routes per game in Ryan Grubb’s pass-heavy attack. The increased routes helped him to run off 3+ receptions in 10 straight games to end the season, but he waited until the season finale to score his first touchdown. Fant owns the fourth-best SPORQ score (99.2) among TEs since 2000, but he’s fallen below expectations the last three seasons in Seattle. He could benefit from a change of scenery but he should be considered a mid-to-low-end TE2 if he hits the open market.
Taysom Hill (NO, 35)
Hill was in the midst of his best season when he tore his ACL and suffered additional damage to his knee in a Dec. 1 loss to the Rams. Taysom is staring at a lengthy recovery this off-season and the Saints brought in Kellen Moore and a new coaching staff. It could spell the end of his eight-year run with the franchise since the Saints can save $10 million in salary cap space by designating him as a post-June 1 release. Hill posted 39/278/6 rushing (7.1 YPC), 23/187 receiving (8.1 YPR), and 21/1 passing to finish as the TE6 with 13.0 FPG on a 42% snap share in eight games. Hill will likely miss time at the start of 2025 since he’s recovering from a significant knee injury at 35 years old to limit his market. Hill is likely to find a limited market but his longtime coach Sean Payton will likely give him a chance if he struggles to find a team.
Unrestricted Free Agents
An unrestricted free agent is a player with four or more accrued seasons and an expired contract who is free to negotiate and sign with any team. The age for each player is the age he’ll turn in the 2024 calendar year.
Fantasy Relevant
Tyler Conklin (NYJ, 30)
Conklin has been a fringe fantasy PPR option since his final season with the Vikings in 2021, registering 51+ receptions in four straight campaigns. That coincided with him becoming a full-time player with a 70% snap share and a 61% route share or better in each of those seasons. Conklin posted 51/449/4 receiving (8.8 YPR) on 72 targets (11.8% share) to finish as the TE22 with 7.6 FPG. He played on 80% of the snaps and ran 428 routes (26.8 per game) in 16 contests. Aaron Rodgers used him primarily as a check-down receiver with Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson soaking up most downfield targets. Conklin finished with an aDOT of 5.5 yards and ranked 41st in YPRR (1.05) among 47 TEs with 25+ targets. He could be a low-end TE2 in PPR formats if he lands in a pass-friendly offense, but he isn’t going to be a fantasy difference-maker at his next stop.
