Many of the high-profile free agents are off the board. Which free agency deals will teams come to regret big-time? No matter how well-run a team is, they will always make a free agency mistake now and then - that is simply the nature of the open market.
The 2025 NFL Free Agency period is going to be no different - there are deals who will soon see their free agency deals work out in a huge way, while others will see their FA deals totally collapse in the worst way. It might take a year or so before we can say which teams ended up handing out horrible deals.
Let's dive into free notable free agency deals teams are going to regret big-time.
2025 NFL Free Agency: 3 deals teams will end up regretting big-time
Milton Williams, New England Patriots (four years, $104 million)
Milton Williams started just 19 of his 67 regular season games with the Philadelphia Eagles and had his best season in 2024, but all it amassed to was 24 total tackles, five sacks, and 10 QB hits. Williams is most definitely a talented player, but it does seem like his free agency deal got a huge Super Bowl bump.
Williams scored a deal worth over $100 million from the New England Patriots. He's now one of the top-paid defensive tackles in the NFL and is still young, yes, but this does feel one of those classic 'early free agency overpays' scenario, if that makes sense. Milton Williams is going to have to establish himself as an elite defensive tackle to make this deal worth it.
Javon Kinlaw, Washington Commanders (three years, $45 million)
Javon Kinlaw turns 28 years old in October and never really panned out based on his first-round pedigree, but he was somehow able to land a three-year, $45 million deal with the Washington Commanders. He played the 2024 NFL Season with the New York Jets and had 4.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, and five QB hits.
Kinlaw is a below-average starter if you ask me, and perhaps an average starter at best, so the $15 million per year price tag is a bit much, especially coming from the Commanders, who have made a ton of pristine decisions over the last season. This simply feels like a very, very rich deal for an OK at best player.
Justin Fields, New York Jets (two years, $40 million)
Justin Fields being able to score a deal worth $20 million per year his absolutely hysterical if you ask me. He signed with the New York Jets and is likely going to be their full-time starter for the 2025 NFL Season at least, but Fields is not a franchise QB and is pretty much a high-end backup.
Fields has a 14-30 career record with 7,780 yards, 45 touchdowns, and 31 interceptions. That earns him an 83.9 passer rating. He's also got a 61.1% completion percentage and averages just 155.6 yards per game.
How is it that Justin Fields was able to land a deal this rich? Perhaps it was a panic move from GM Darren Mougey, who is in his first year on the job. Fields can at least raise the floor of the room, and the Jets should still look toward the 2025 NFL Draft to try and find a franchise-caliber passer. This deal was too rich for Justin Fields.