With the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine behind us, the NFL world turns its attention to free agency. It all begins on Monday, March 9, when teams are allowed to negotiate deals with agents, and officially kicks off March 11. It’s true that contenders are built through the draft, but additions in free agency can make big-time impacts.
The Seattle Seahawks made the decision last offseason to trade quarterback Geno Smith away and sign Sam Darnold in free agency, which helped them win a Super Bowl. The AFC champion New England Patriots also went on a spending spree in free agency, landing Milton Williams, Stefon Diggs, Carlton Davis, Harold Landry, Robert Spillane and Morgan Moses, who helped the Pats go from 4-13 to 14-3.
Then there’s the other side of free agency. There are a handful of teams that are poised to lose considerable talent to the market. It happened to the San Francisco 49ers last year, as safety Talanoa Hufanga, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, offensive guard Aaron Banks, cornerback Charvarius Ward and offensive tackle Jaylon Moore elected for changes of scenery. San Francisco also traded away wide receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Jordan Mason. According to CBS Sports Research, San Francisco’s $264 million free agent spending deficit from players lost to players acquired was the largest in NFL history.
Which teams could be hit hard in free agency this year? Let’s take a look at five.
The reigning Super Bowl champions have some important free agents looking for new deals. Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III’s contract is up, and Seattle is reportedly unlikely to use a tag to retain him. He rushed for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns in the regular season, but his 1,309 yards from scrimmage and 5.2 yards per touch marked career highs. Walker then made himself some considerable money in Super Bowl LX, when he rushed 27 times for 135 yards on the way to MVP honors. He became the first running back to win Super Bowl MVP since the Broncos’ Terrell Davis in the 1997 season.
The Seahawks also have to re-sign trade-deadline addition Rashid Shaheed. He caught 15 passes for 188 yards in his nine games with Seattle, but also scored punt and kick return touchdowns. Shaheed then returned the opening kick of the eventual divisional-round victory against the rival 49ers back for a touchdown. He actually became the first player since Tyreek Hill in 2016 to register three return touchdowns in a six-game span (including playoffs). There’s no doubt he’s a big-play weapon, as Shaheed’s 14 40-yard touchdowns since 2022 rank No. 1 in the NFL.
Another free agent on the offensive side of the ball is tackle Josh Jones, who stepped in for an injured Charles Cross in Weeks 16-18 and helped the Seahawks during that crucial 3-0 stretch which included the overtime victory against the Los Angeles Rams, and the Week 18 win over the 49ers which clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Defensively, pass rusher Boye Mafe is set to hit the market. He recorded 31 tackles and two sacks in 17 games played with four starts last year, but his 145 pressures over the past three seasons are tied with Leonard Williams for most on the team. At 6-foot-4, 260+ pounds and just 27 years old, Maye is an underrated free agent.
Things get worse in the secondary, as Coby Bryant, Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen are all free agents who could command $10+ million-per-year contracts. Bryant, a former fourth-round pick who converted from corner to safety, recorded 66 tackles, seven passes defended and a career-high four interceptions in 2025. Jobe started a career-high 15 games this season and recorded 54 tackles, 12 passes defended and an interception. Woolen on the other hand made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2022 after leading the NFL in interceptions with six, but his production has since dipped. Woolen has recorded six interceptions over the last three seasons, and started in seven of the first eight games in 2025 before being rotated for the rest of the year. It’s fair to say Woolen has some discipline concerns, as he was the only player in the entire NFL to pick up multiple taunting penalties with three, including playoffs. Still, Woolen has been a legitimate part of this Seattle secondary over the last four years.
Another potential departure you should be aware of is veteran defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. He is not a free agent, but ESPN mentioned last week there’s uncertainty over whether he will play next year, or retire. He recorded eight sacks and forced six fumbles in 2025, including playoffs, and was an important member of this voracious defensive front.
The Seahawks rank No. 6 in cap space with $59.5 million, but wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon are now eligible for massive extensions. However you want to spin it, Seattle is a team to watch this offseason.
2026 NFL free agency: Khalil Mack, Malik Willis among players each team should prioritize in offseason
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The Green Bay Packers have the most intriguing free agent this offseason in quarterback Malik Willis. However, Green Bay has clearly chosen Jordan Love over him, so congrats to the former third-round pick on his looming payday. Thank you for your service.
The most important free agent the Packers have is left tackle Rasheed Walker. CBS Sports has him ranked as the No. 19 free agent in this class, and he will command a contract that pays over $20 million per year. Pretty good for a former seventh-round pick out of Penn State. Walker is not the only offensive lineman from the Packers’ 2022 draft class who is looking for a new deal, as 25-year-old Sean Rhyan is a free agent as well. After starting all 17 games in 2004 at guard, he started 11 games in 2025.
A free agent who will receive interest on the open market is wide receiver Romeo Doubs, who had a career year in 2025 with 724 yards and six touchdowns on 55 catches — averaging 13.2 yards per reception. The former fourth-round pick out of Nevada has caught 202 passes for 2,424 yards and 21 touchdowns in his 59 career games played. To wrap up the offensive side of the ball, we will also mention that backup running back Emanuel Wilson is looking for a new deal. He had a couple of big games this past season, rushing for 107 yards and two touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 12, and then 82 yards against the Chicago Bears in Week 16.
Defensively, Packers linebacker Quay Walker is set to hit free agency. The former No. 22 overall pick out of Georgia has recorded at least 100 tackles in all four of his NFL seasons, and 2.5 sacks in each of the last three seasons. Walker notched a career-high 128 tackles in just 14 games played last year. Backup pass rusher Kingsley Enagbare is also a free agent. He’s recorded 11.5 sacks in his four seasons with Green Bay, and ranks No. 71 on CBS Sports’ top 100 free agents list.
There are some notable members of the Chicago secondary searching for new deals. Cornerback Nahshon Wright led the NFL in takeaways this year with five interceptions and three fumble recoveries — and accomplished this in his first full season as a starter. Wright was one of two players to record five interceptions and three tackles for loss, the other being teammate Kevin Byard, who led the NFL with seven interceptions in 2025. He’s a free agent as well. Then there’s Jaquan Brisker, the former No. 48 overall pick who would like to cash in. He has recorded 342 tackles, seven sacks, 21 passes defended and four interceptions in 52 career games played. Lineman Andrew Billings, pass rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, pass rusher Dominique Robinson, cornerback Nick McCloud, defensive lineman Chris Williams and safety Jonathan Owens are also free agents on the defensive side of the ball.
Things aren’t as questionable for the Bears on the offensive side, but left tackle Braxton Jones is set to hit the market. He hasn’t played a full season since his rookie year back in 2022. Wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, running back Travis Homer, wide receiver Devin Duvernay and center Ryan Bates are some of the other players looking for new deals. While it’s not technically “free agency,” we should mention that the Bears could trade (or release) two big-name players in wide receiver DJ Moore and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds due to their contracts.
Following a 6-11 season in which they missed the playoffs, the Kansas City Chiefs have an important offseason ahead of them. They aren’t exactly swimming in cap space ($5.6 million over the cap), and want to strike a long-term deal with star cornerback Trent McDuffie. Then, there are the free agents.
Star tight end Travis Kelce is the most notable “free agent” for Brett Veach, although he is deciding between retirement and the Chiefs, not leaving for another team. Kelce is the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions (1,080), receiving yards (13,002) and receiving touchdowns (82), and is a future Hall of Famer.
Even if Kelce returns, Patrick Mahomes’ weaponry could be in for a reset. Wide receivers Marquise Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton are set to hit free agency. Then there’s the issue of running back, as Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt are free agents. Hunt turns 31 this offseason, but did lead the Chiefs last year with 611 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. As for Pacheco, he hasn’t reached 500 yards rushing in each of the last two seasons due to multiple injuries, but did rush for 935 yards and seven scores in 2023. The Chiefs could look to upgrade at running back and let him walk. The Chiefs will also be in the market for a new right tackle with the expected release/trade of embattled right tackle Jawaan Taylor.
Defensively, Kansas City has a couple of important free agents in the secondary with safety Bryan Cook and cornerback Jaylen Watson. Cook recorded a career-high 85 tackles this past season to go along with six passes defended, and is one of two Chiefs players to start in all 37 games over the last two years, the other being center Creed Humphrey. Watson had a career year as well, starting in all 15 games he played while recording 64 tackles, two sacks, six passes defended and two interceptions. He was a fantastic find in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and is due for a major bump in pay.
The Chiefs also have one of the most underrated linebacker free agents in Leo Chenal, who recorded 58 tackles, two sacks and his first career interception in 2025. He’s not some coverage ace, but he’s effective against the run. Other defensive free agents include defensive linemen Charles Omenihu, Jerry Tillery, Derrick Nnadi and Mike Pennel.
The Buffalo Bills are around $6 million over the cap currently, and have two very important offensive linemen to re-sign in center Connor McGovern and left guard David Edwards. McGovern ranked No. 9 among all centers last year, according to PFF, and he’s been snapping the ball to Josh Allen’s for the last three seasons. As for Edwards, Spotrac believes he could sign the most lucrative contract among all interior offensive linemen this offseason at around $20 million per year. Allen needs adequate protection if the Bills want to win the Super Bowl.
Defensively, pass rushers Joey Bosa and A.J. Epenesa saw their deals expire. Bosa led the NFL with five forced fumbles this past season, and notched five sacks to go along with 29 tackles. Epenesa has spent the past six seasons with Buffalo, and recorded 24 sacks in that span. Former Pro Bowl linebacker Matt Milano is also hitting the market at 31 years old. He recorded 67 tackles in 12 games played last season, and matched a career high with 3.5 sacks.
Defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi, linebacker Shaq Thompson, defensive lineman DaQuan Jones, safety Damar Hamlin, cornerback Cam Lewis, safety Jordan Poyer and cornerback Tre’Davious White are some of the other defenders set to hit free agency for Buffalo.
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