2025 NFL free agency: Davante Adams Travis Kelce among 18 notable cut candidates on AFC teams..
The frenzy of NFL free agency is most often focused on the players signing in new spots — but some of the most impactful moves each year are the cuts teams make in the pursuit of coveted cap space.
In anticipation, here are a handful of the biggest names on cut watch in the AFC. Click here for the NFC rundown.
Note: All salary cap and contract numbers are from Over The Cap as of Feb. 17.
Davante Adams
Davante Adams
New York Jets · WR
OR
Allen Lazard
Allen Lazard
New York Jets · WR.
Aaron Rodgers would top this list, but because the Jets have already expressed their intent to part ways, it feels like cheating. That said, assuming Rodgers moves on in some fashion, the Jets also appear likely to move on from Davante Adams, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported earlier this month. Productive as Adams was last season, when he turned 32, releasing him would secure nearly $30 million in cap savings for a team in need of an overhaul. This also hinges a bit on what happens with Garrett Wilson, who could be up for an extension if he and the Jets can make nice, but don’t be surprised to see Adams in a new jersey (again) next year.
Let’s all be honest with each other. Allen Lazard’s presence in Florham Park is 99.9 percent a side effect of Aaron Rodgers’ presence in Florham Park. With the latter headed out of town shortly, I think we can all but guarantee the exit of the wideout as well. Lazard was oddly productive early in 2024, scoring five touchdowns in the first six games, but he disappeared for most of the rest of the season. More importantly, he carries a $13.2 million cap hit in 2025. While New York can only save $6.6 million of that by cutting him pre-June 1, it’s still a worthwhile move, considering the price-to-production ratio and the departure of his longtime quarterback.
Travis Kelce
Travis Kelce
Kansas City Chiefs · TE
Yes, this is absurd. Cutting a future first-ballot Hall of Famer and arguably the greatest playoff pass-catcher in NFL history? Nonsense. Right?! Well, not necessarily. Assuming Travis Kelce doesn’t retire this spring, the Chiefs could probably restructure his contract to make it work until he does hang up the cleats. But it’s not impossible that they let him go for a whopping $17.3 million in cap savings, considering the 35-year-old has now posted consecutive seasons with fewer than 1,000 yards and had just eight receiving touchdowns in 2023 and 2024 combined (not counting playoffs, of course). Kelce’s efficiency has plummeted these last two years, and it might be time for Kansas City to move on (if he doesn’t do so himself). Again, this would be crazy, but Kansas City has split with legendary tight ends amidst solid production before (SEE: Gonzalez, Tony).
Mark Andrews
Mark Andrews
Baltimore Ravens · TE
Immediate disclaimer: I think this is very unlikely. The chemistry between Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews is too tight, and Andrews scored 11 touchdowns over Baltimore’s last 12 regular-season games. However, this article covers potential and there is a sliver of potential here. Despite the touchdowns, the veteran tight end was clearly less effective in 2024, averaging just 3.2 receptions and 39.6 yards per game — both his lowest career marks outside of his rookie season. The Ravens have another (younger) pass-catching tight end in Isaiah Likely. Cutting Andrews heading into a contract year would save $11 million for a franchise not currently in the greatest cap shape. And, of course, there was the playoff collapse. Still, Andrews is a core piece of this offense and locker room, so I don’t expect him to go anywhere in 2025.
Joey Bosa
Joey Bosa
Los Angeles Chargers · Edge
Joey Bosa made this list last season, but the Chargers decided to keep both him and Khalil Mack and move on from receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. They did restructure Bosa’s contract — the ideal scenario I laid out in the 2024 column — but here we are again heading into 2025. Los Angeles could save $25.4 million against the cap by cutting Bosa, who did make the Pro Bowl again this most recent season but still has not rediscovered the double-digit sack form from earlier in his career (he had just five in 2024). Mack will be a free agent this March, adding a wrinkle to the situation, and the Chargers are currently in the top five in cap space, so maybe Bosa sticks around for another year. But he’s on the watch list.
Tunsil couldn’t contain Joey Bosa on 5-yard sack of Stroud
Sam Hubbard
Sam Hubbard
Cincinnati Bengals · Edge
OR
Sheldon Rankins
Sheldon Rankins
Cincinnati Bengals · DT
The Bengals defense has been on a bit of a roller-coaster ride in recent years, but Sam Hubbard has been a consistent piece on the edge since he was drafted in 2018. Unfortunately, both he and the defense as a whole had awful seasons in 2024. Hubbard matched his career low with just two sacks and set a new career low with three tackles for loss. His 47.6 Pro Football Focus pass rush grade was dead last among 69 edge rushers with at least 500 defensive snaps. Letting him go would create $9.5 million in cap savings. Cincy needs to retool its defense, and this would be a good starting point.
Another potential casualty of the 2024 Bengals’ defensive debacle could be Sheldon Rankins. He just signed a two-year deal with Cincy last offseason, but he missed 10 games and was not particularly good in the seven he played. He earned a 46.2 run defense grade and a 58.9 pass rush grade from PFF and totaled just 18 tackles and one sack/TFL/QB hit — which came against the league’s most easily sacked quarterback, Deshaun Watson. Cutting Rankins will save Cincinnati another $9.6 million against the cap as it seeks to fix that porous defense.
Von Miller
Von Miller
Buffalo Bills · Edge
After earning a Pro Bowl nod in each of his first eight full seasons in the NFL, Von Miller is very clearly in the sunset years of his career. He has had just 14 sacks in three seasons with the Bills, played roughly one-third of the defensive snaps in 2024 and turns 36 years old on March 26. While he can be a useful situational pass rusher, that kind of usage does not justify his $23.8 million cap number next season (10th-highest among NFL edge rushers). Buffalo would eat $15.4 million in dead money by cutting him pre-June 1, so designating him as a post-June 1 cut might be more ideal — with just $6.4 million in dead money and saving $17.4 million in that case. Either way, the Bills are currently projected to be $17 million over the cap (third-worst in the league), so they need to pinch pennies wherever possible, and Miller seems likely to be among the casualties.
Christian Kirk
Christian Kirk
Jacksonville Jaguars · WR
To be frank, it was shocking to see the Jaguars sign Christian Kirk to a four-year, $72 million contract in 2022. His best campaign at that point had come the previous year, when he finished with 982 receiving yards and five touchdowns. And while it looked somewhat promising when he broke out for 1,108 yards and eight scores in his first season in Jacksonville, Kirk has missed 14 games and totaled just four touchdowns in the two years since. Jacksonville found its true No. 1 receiver in Brian Thomas Jr. in last year’s draft, and while Kirk is a good WR2, he’s not worth the $24.1 million cap hit he brings in 2025. Cutting him will result in $13.7 million in dead money but will also bring $10.4 million in cap space for a franchise seeking a fresh start.
Alex Cappa
Alex Cappa
Cincinnati Bengals · OG
Alex Cappa has been a mainstay on the Cincinnati offensive line for three straight years, starting all 50 regular-season games. That said, he’s also allowed 15 sacks over that span, third-most by any guard in the league, and has a PFF pass-blocking grade of 55.2, which ranks 64th out of 79 guards with at least 600 snaps in that window. The Bengals can save $8 million against the cap by cutting Cappa, who’s entering a contract year. Despite his consistent availability, that’s a recipe for an early departure.
