By Ross Kelly
We are no longer months or weeks but rather days from the start of the 2025 NFL season. Preseason is behind us and the final NFL cut down day is on Tuesday, Aug. 26.
However, before hundreds of players get their walking papers and become free agents, there is a notable list of players who are currently unsigned and have been so throughout the league’s exhibition season.
This list includes former Pro Bowlers, All-Pros, and even a couple of potential Hall of Famers.
Here are the top remaining free agents entering the 2025 NFL season:
WR Amari Cooper
One of just six NFL players to accumulate more than 10,000 receiving yards over the last decade, Cooper, 31, split last year between Cleveland and Buffalo.
He wasn’t particularly impressive in either location, but he’s just two seasons removed from a 1,250-yard season and Pro Bowl appearance while catching balls from five different Browns starting quarterbacks. Cooper is no longer a No. 1 wideout but could be an upgrade for many teams over their current complementary receivers.
Adding to his value is that Cooper, unlike many other notable receivers, doesn’t come with the “diva” label and is seen as a team leader and good locker room presence.
In a world in which Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods—who are both older than Cooper—have found NFL jobs, it’s highly surprising that Cooper hasn’t latched onto a team yet.
DT Christian Wilkins
After signing a $110 million contract with Las Vegas last season, Wilkins lasted just five days with the Raiders before being released after issues with both his rehab approach and a bizarre kissing incident.
But the NFL doesn’t hand out nine-figure contracts to nobodies, and Wilkins, a former first-round pick, ranks second among all defensive linemen in tackles over the last four seasons.
With experience both playing tackle and end and having lined up in both 4-3 and 3-4 defenses, his versatility shouldn’t leave him unsigned for long.
QB C.J. Beathard
There are bigger QB names among those unsigned, like Carson Wentz, but bringing Beathard onto your team won’t generate headlines like signing Wentz would, and that’s exactly what you want with a backup.
Beathard spent all of last year on a couple of practice squads but won his last NFL start in 2023. He’s actually put up impressive numbers over the last few years, with both spot-starts and mop-up duty comprising his playing time.
Since the 2020 season, Beathard has a 7:1 TD:INT and completed 67.6 percent of his passes over 170 pass attempts. When a quarterback inevitably goes down early in the season, expect Beathard to be one of the first options teams reach out to for short-term depth.
RB Cordarrelle Patterson
It feels like a disservice to only label Patterson a running back as he does multiple things with a ball in his hands.
He is the most prolific kick returner in NFL history with a record nine kick return touchdowns. A receiver who converted to running back, he offers depth at both positions and averaged a 4.2 yards per carry last year with Pittsburgh while also catching a dozen passes.
Teams are always facing a roster crunch and deciding whether to keep an extra running back, receiver, or special teams player, so why not get a singular player who could help at all three positions?
CB Stephon Gilmore
As a Defensive Player of the Year winner, a five-time Pro Bowler, and a Super Bowl champion, Gilmore has built a Hall of Fame-worthy resume. But he’s become a hired gun late in his career, playing for five different teams over the last five years as teams with championship aspirations seek his services.
Thus, he’s likely content with waiting for the right opportunity rather than just any opportunity, and he would best fit in a Cover-2 defense that could utilize his tackling skills.
Last year while with the Vikings, Gilmore ranked in the 87th percentile in run defense, among all cornerbacks, per PFF.
Overall, he ranked in the 58th percentile as a cornerback, which makes him still a starting-caliber DB in nickel packages. He has made free agent visits but maybe seeing what teams’ records are after the first few weeks of the season will entice him to put pen to paper.
EDGE Za’Darius Smith
After five sacks with the Browns, Smith was traded midseason to Detroit to be a part of the committee to fill the void of Aidan Hutchinson.
Smith notched another four sacks as coming off a nine-sack season wouldn’t normally leave a player unsigned. He will turn 33 years old during Week 1, and his asking price is reportedly a reason he remains on the street, but NFL teams have a hard time of saying “no” to proven pass-rushers.