The 2023 NFL Free Agent Class: Ranking the Top 102 Available Veterans
The 2023 NFL season is over. Now begins the race to dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs as world champions. Kansas City heads into the offseason with the biggest free agent in the league lingering at the top of its to-do list. The Chiefs re-signed defensive tackle Chris Jones to a one-year deal after a brief holdout last season, then saw him devastate opponents and wipe postseason touchdowns off the scoreboard by being a wrecking ball at the center of the team’s defense. He’s made it clear he wants to return to Missouri for 2024 and beyond — but he won’t come cheap. Jones is only one of nearly 800 NFL veterans who’ll be available on the open market this spring. More are set to come as franchises release highly paid veterans in order to trim their payroll. That’s a prelude to March 11, when the league’s legal tampering period begins and reports of massive contracts will kick off the offseason in earnest. Who joins Jones amidst the most-wanted free agents of 2024? Let’s run down this year’s top 102 available veterans.
1. DT Chris Jones
2023 team: Kansas City Chiefs
Age: 30
2023 avg. salary: $20,000,000
Who is he? Game-changing pass rusher who may have usurped the mantle of “best interior lineman” from Aaron Donald in 2023.
2. EDGE Brian Burns
2023 team: Carolina Panthers
Age: 26
2023 avg. salary: $3,385,046
Who is he? Dynamic young edge rusher with 46 sacks and 142 quarterback pressures in five seasons with the Panthers.
3. EDGE Josh Allen
2023 team: Jacksonville Jaguars
Age: 27
2023 avg. salary: $5,685,659
Who is he? Fast-twitch edge rusher who had a breakthrough 17.5 sacks in his age 26 season last fall.
And so on…
