1 veteran cut candidate from all 32 NFL teams this offseason, from Kirk Cousins to Davante Adams

In the NFL, little is guaranteed. That applies to players' contracts, too.

The league's fluid contract structure creates a spectrum where players can have their salaries fully locked in, have a portion of that money in the "no matter what" pile or wind up facing unemployment with little to show for it but a handshake and a "good luck" from their former team. Combine that range of guaranteed cash with a hard salary cap that's great for parity but brutal for players and you've got an ecosystem where teams weigh veteran stars' impact against their cost.

Each offseason gives all 32 franchises a chance to reset and examine their books. If a player isn't producing up to his salary, he could wind up on the chopping block, no matter how beloved he may be. 2025 is no exception -- and these 32 players could wind up being prizes in free agency instead of pushing toward Super Bowl 60 with their current teams.

Let's break down one potential cap casualty from each team in alphabetical order. Salary cap savings information is courtesy of the incredibly useful Over the Cap.

Arizona Cardinals: RB Michael Carter

• 2025 cap savings: $1,220,000

The Cardinals don't have too many major cap commitments in their ongoing rebuild and will have plenty of spending room this offseason. Shedding the team's RB4 (or RB5, depending on how you view Deejay Dallas) would shave another million dollars off the cap.

Atlanta Falcons: QB Kirk Cousins

• 2025 cap savings: $0

Cousins is a sunk cost thanks to his frustrating 2024 and Michael Penix Jr.'s place as the team's franchise quarterback in waiting. Since his physical limitations rip pages out of the Atlanta playbook, there's little value to keeping him around as an incredibly expensive backup. But since designating him a post-June 1 cut won't generate any tangible savings, it's possible he sticks around.

Baltimore Ravens: WR Nelson Agholor

• 2025 cap savings: $3,283,000

Agholor's extension in Baltimore last season was a one-year deal with four voidable years afterward for salary cap purposes. Eliminating those will shave more than $3 million off the team's salary cap, which starts the 2025 offseason with fewer than $6 million to spend.

Buffalo Bills: EDGE Von Miller

• 2025 cap savings: $17,440,000

Designating Miller a post-June 1 release would shave more than $17 million from the team's salary cap that could be used toward adding veteran wideout talent as Amari Cooper and Mack Hollins test free agency. Miller had a bounce-back 2024, but that resulted in just six sacks while playing less than a third of the team's defensive snaps.

Carolina Panthers: RB Miles Sanders

• 2025 cap savings: $6,700,000

The Panthers should be accumulating talent, not jettisoning it. But Sanders, who has 939 total yards in two seasons after signing a four-year, $25.4 million contract with Carolina in 2023, wouldn't necessarily be a player whose impact is missed.

Chicago Bears: S Kevin Byard

• 2025 cap savings: $7,000,000

Chicago has the cap space to avoid any difficult decisions, but is also undergoing a regime change with Ben Johnson taking the reins at head coach. Byard turns 32 in August and his coverage has slipped significantly from his Pro Bowl peak. With a solid class of veteran talent available, the Bears can get younger in their backfield -- and potentially cheaper, too.

Cincinnati Bengals: EDGE Sam Hubbard or DT Sheldon Rankins

• 2025 cap savings: at least $9,511,765

The Bengals need all the pass rushing help they can get, but both Hubbard and Rankins slogged through awful seasons in 2024 to leave Trey Hendrickson as the team's only pocket-crumpling threat. With cap space needed to keep Tee Higgins in town (and potentially extend Hendrickson), Cincinnati could generate $19 million in savings by blowing up its front line and starting over with younger, cheaper replacements.

Cleveland Browns: OT Jack Conklin

• 2025 cap savings: $14,647,059

Conklin is a two-time All-Pro, but he missed nearly the entire 2023 season due to injury and was roughly average in 2024 (12 games). He'll turn 31 in August. While the Browns would like to keep him, their genuinely terrible salary cap position, made possible by giving Deshaun Watson $230 million fully guaranteed despite more than 20 accusations of sexual misconduct and what the NFL itself described as "predatory behavior" dating to his time as a Houston Texans, suggests he could be on the chopping block in order to get back under 2025's spending limit.

Dallas Cowboys: OT Terence Steele

• 2025 cap savings: $14,000,000

Steele is a perfectly useful tackle, but Dallas is a projected $4.5 million over the 2025 spending limit coming into the offseason and needs to figure out how to extend Micah Parsons. If Jerry Jones' CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott negotiations are any indication, it will mean a record-setting contract that requires a boatload of cap space to execute -- which could spell the end of Steele's tenure in Texas.

Denver Broncos: S P.J. Locke

• 2025 cap savings: $4,190,000

Bo Nix's rookie contract means Denver won't have to make many difficult cuts. Locke could stick around, but the Broncos could stand to upgrade the safety position across from Brandon Jones. Locke's coverage in 2024 could be frustrating, though he cleaned up some of the tackling issues that dogged his 2023.

Detroit Lions WR/ST: Kalif Raymond

• 2025 cap savings: $4,826,471

The Lions don't have many great cut candidates and have a reasonable amount of spending room ($44 million) this offseason. Raymond is an All-Pro returner and worth his salary, but if push comes to shove he may be the most likely player to be released in a cost saving measure.

Green Bay Packers: CB Jaire Alexander

• 2025 cap savings: $17,079,412

Alexander was a cut candidate last season but returned to the lineup for 2024. He played just seven games due to injury and Green Bay still won 11 games without him, suggesting the 28-year-old former All-Pro could be in line for either a pay cut or a release -- though with $42 million to spend this offseason, the Packers won't be pressured to get either done immediately this offseason.

Houston Texans: EDGE Denico Autry

• 2025 cap savings: $8,794,118

Autry has no guaranteed money left on his contract and plays a depth role behind Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. in the edge rushing rotation. Houston could bring him back at a lower price, but with a cap crunch looming the veteran defender is an obvious candidate to be let go.

Indianapolis Colts: OT Braden Smith

• 2025 cap savings: $16,750,000

General manager Chris Ballard kept the band together in 2024 and was rewarded with regression and the distinct feeling his job is on the line this fall. That could spur dramatic moves like releasing Smith, who'd generate significant savings but eliminate a steady contributor from the starting lineup.

Smith has only played 22 games the last two seasons and is nearing 30. Cutting him may not be at the top of Ballard's to-do list, but if he needs a bunch of cap space in a hurry it could be the shake-up he needs to prove he's still capable of big swings.

Jacksonville Jaguars: TE Evan Engram

• 2025 cap savings: $15,485,294

Only two players would generate more than $5 million in cap savings for the Jags this offseason via release -- Engram and wideout Christian Kirk. Engram, who turns 31 in September, regressed after his breakthrough 2023 and his 1.67 yards per route run were 16th in the NFL among tight ends -- behind 14th place Brenton Strange, who Jacksonville selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Kansas City Chiefs: WR Skyy Moore

• 2025 cap savings: $1,584,615

A Travis Kelce retirement would shave more than $17 million from the team's books this offseason. The only other veteran who'd clear more than $4 million in cap space is Joe Thuney, who isn't going anywhere. Releasing Moore won't bring much spending room back to the coffers, but it wouldn't hurt the offense much either.

Las Vegas Raiders: QB Gardner Minshew

• 2025 cap savings: $9,340,000

Minshew is making reasonable money for a high level backup who can fill in as a reasonable lower-tier starter in a pinch. But Aidan O'Connell is cheaper and the Raiders are looking to move in a different direction with Pete Carroll in as head coach and Tom Brady taking a bigger role in ownership decisions.

Los Angeles Chargers: EDGE Joey Bosa

• 2025 cap savings: $25,360,000

The Chargers have plenty of spending room and do not need to move on from Bosa. But let's look at the reality; Bosa is almost 30 and has played only 28 games the last three seasons. His 11.3 percent pressure rate was the lowest of his career and his 33 pressures ranked tied for 85th in the league last season. Los Angeles should not release its five-time Pro Bowler, but if the finances were different Jim Harbaugh and company may have been staring down a difficult decision this offseason.

Los Angeles Rams: WR Cooper Kupp

• 2025 cap savings: $15,000,000

Kupp has already been cleared to seek out a trade partner, which seems to portend the end of a stellar career in Los Angeles. But designating him a post-June 1 release would leave about as much dead space on the team's 2025 cap ($14.7 million) as it saves, which could keep him on the roster if no deal is worked out this spring.

Miami Dolphins: RB Raheem Mostert

• 2025 cap savings: $3,065,000

Miami already told Mostert he'd be released after averaging just 3.3 yards per carry last fall. The soon-to-be 33-year-old will be replaced by Jaylen Wright in the running back rotation.

Minnesota Vikings: G Ed Ingram

• 2025 cap savings: $3,325,000

Ingram slipped out of the starting lineup, but Dalton Risner's free agency clears a path for him to rise back to the top of the depth chart. But a $3.7 million salary is a big ask for a player who struggled through 2024 and isn't inside the circle of trust this offseason.

New England Patriots: WR Kendrick Bourne

• 2025 cap savings: $6,300,000

New England has more salary cap space than anyone headed into 2025. Even so, Bourne's lack of contributions (28 catches in 2024) could see him erased from a receiving room crowded with depth candidates but few proven starters.

New Orleans Saints: EDGE Cameron Jordan

• 2025 cap savings: $11,000,000

To no one's surprise, New Orleans enters another offseason with the league's worst salary cap situation. Jordan is a Saints staple, but he has just six sacks the last two seasons combined (34 games) and his 6.7 percent pressure rate at age 35 was the worst of his career.

New York Giants OT Jermaine Eluemunor

• 2025 cap savings: $6,441,176

Eluemunor is a serviceable swing tackle with no guaranteed money left on his contract. The Giants have the cap space to keep him around, but could opt for younger, higher-ceiling blockers in his stead.

New York Jets: WR Davante Adams

• 2025 cap savings: $36,160,000

The Jets already did some of our heavy lifting by informing Aaron Rodgers he won't be back to 2025. Adams, set to cost nearly $38 million against the team's cap, could follow his former quarterback out the door despite a solid 2.14 yards per route run -- 29th best in the NFL last season.

Philadelphia Eagles: CB James Bradberry

2025 cap savings: $4,724,000

Bradberry is 31 years old and didn't play a single game in 2024 -- and the Eagles won a Super Bowl without him. Letting him go will carve out some of the space needed to retain free agents like Josh Sweat or Milton Williams if that's what general manager Howie Roseman decides.

Pittsburgh Steelers LB Cole Holcomb

• 2025 cap savings: $6,000,000

Pittsburgh seems content to roll with Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson at off-ball linebacker. Holcomb missed the entire 2024 season and could stick around as a depth option this fall, but his high price could leave a Steelers team in search of an established quarterback to jettison him to the open market.

San Francisco 49ers: DT Javon Hargrave

• 2025 cap savings: $2,232,353

The Niners have already indicated they'd let Hargrave go two seasons into a four-year, $84 million deal. He played just three games in 2024 but was a Pro Bowler in 2023.

Seattle Seahawks: WR Tyler Lockett

• 2025 cap savings: $17,000,000

Lockett is 32 years old and coming off his least productive season since 2017. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba climbing Geno Smith's wish list, the veteran wideout may no longer be worth the expense as his route tree dwindles.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: S Jordan Whitehead

• 2025 cap savings: $4,500,000

Whitehead's production fell off precipitously in his first year in Tampa and there are zero guarantees when it comes to his 2025 salary. While $4.5 million isn't a lot, the Buccaneers are pressed up against the salary cap and need to find cash to keep standbys like Chris Godwin and Lavonte David in town.

Tennessee Titans: LB Kenneth Murray

• 2025 cap savings: $7,660,000

The former first round pick failed to pan out with the Chargers and failed to impress in his first season with the Titans -- Pro Football Focus rated him 169th out of 189 qualified linebackers this season. Tennessee can clear about 75 percent of his non-guaranteed 2025 salary from its books by releasing him this spring.

Washington Commanders: CB Marshon Lattimore

• 2025 cap savings: $18,000,000

Lattimore was arguably the biggest name dealt at last year's trade deadline, but he failed to regain his early form in Washington. The Commanders rallied to the NFC title game despite their top cornerback being absent much of the season and torched by guys like Mike Evans and A.J. Brown on the field. His resume and Washington's cap space suggests he'll get another chance to course correct, but he was not the inspiring addition the Commanders hoped in 2024.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: 1 veteran cut candidate from all 32 NFL teams this offseason, from Kirk Cousins to Davante Adams