The legal tampering period has not even officially begun yet, but these three players have already gotten overpaid.
Free agency is absolutely the time of the year where players do indeed get overpaid, but if you ask them, I am sure they would say that it isn't a bad thing to see all that money. Being that the legal tampering period isn't yet open, there could be a plethora of other players who could end up signing for more money than we think.
And that's simply how the NFL works sometimes. Let's dive into three players who have already gotten overpaid.
2025 NFL Free Agency: These 3 teams have already overpaid players
DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers, (four-year, $132 million)
The Pittsburgh Steelers not only sent a second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for DK Metcalf, but they also gave DK Metcalf an extension to give him, in total, a five-year, $150 million deal. He had one more year left on his deal with Seattle, so Pittsburgh actually gave him another four years and $132 million.
The total deal pays him $30 million a year, and while Metcalf is a very good player, this is elite money, and I am not sure week to week, DK Metcalf is an elite wide receiver. He's actually not all that special in 50/50 balls and isn't someone who has a super advanced route tree.
Yes, he is still a very productive player and seemed to take advantage of a desperate team, which is not his problem, but in the grand scheme of the WR market in the NFL, this is a bit much for DK Metcalf.
DJ Jones, Denver Broncos, (three-year, $39 million)
DJ Jones played in just 40% of the snaps for the Denver Broncos in 2024 and is not someone who offers more than just stopping the run, but he was able to land a deal that pays him a whopping $13 million per year. The deal is for three years in total and is likely a de-facto two-year deal with an easy-out after the 2026 NFL Season, but this is a bit of an overpay for Jones.
He is also a tab bit undersized and is really a one-trick pony. I understand that the Broncos had a stellar DL last year, but Jones is more of a rotational player and is not someone who needs to be seeing $13 million per year. The Broncos overpaid for DJ Jones, but they were able to retain him. He was their biggest free agent name.
Davante Adams, Los Angeles Rams (two-year, $46 million)
The Los Angeles Rams are moving on from Cooper Kupp, and them signing Davante Adams to a deal worth $23 million per year is proof of that. While Adams did have over 1,000 yards in 2024, doesn't $23 million per year feel like a bit much for a wide receiver who turns 33 years old during the 2025 NFL Season?
The Rams are clearly trying to find a balance between building for the future with their young players and also still wanting to field a Super Bowl-caliber team. However, wouldn't a wide receiver like Darius Slayton had made a lot more sense? Slayton is several years younger, a sharp route-runner, and would have been a bit cheaper. It does feel like the Rams were paying for the name here and not so much the player.