Last week, we launched the first look at our Top 100 2026 NFL Free Agents list, providing the first glimpse of which veterans could be available as teams reshuffle their rosters this coming offseason. However, this list of players is not going to be the same list teams are working off of in March. Some guys will be franchise tagged, others will sign extensions, a few will even retire.
So here’s a more realistic look at the potential top 25 players who could be available this coming offseason, one that gives a better sense of just how strong this free agent class really is. Lots can change in the next few months but enough of the season is in the books to start making some educated guesses about who will be available and who won’t.
First off, the players who have been removed:
The resurgence of Jones has been one of the most surprising developments of the 2025 season. He’s been at the controls for the league’s No. 1 offense, both in scoring and total yardage, and is on pace for a career year. Jones is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes and has 20 total touchdowns through 10 games. Indianapolis signed him to a one-year deal worth around $14 million this past offseason. It’ll cost dramatically more to keep him in the fold going forward, either on a long-term deal or the franchise tag. There’s no way the Colts are letting him go, though, not after trading two first-round picks and their ability to replace Jones in the deal for CB Sauce Gardner .
Dallas sent a third-round pick after this past draft to the Steelers for Pickens, who had worn out his welcome in Pittsburgh and was entering the final year of his contract. So far, it’s been a home run for the Cowboys. Pickens hasn’t just been a quality No. 2 to take away attention from WR CeeDee Lamb — he’s run as the Cowboys’ top option with Lamb missing time to injury and has excelled. In 10 games, Pickens has 58 catches on 83 targets for 908 yards and seven touchdowns. Contract talks have been a minefield for the Cowboys in recent years but they can’t let Pickens leave for nothing after this kind of season, which means at minimum a franchise tag is coming in the offseason for Pickens.
Hall was one of the buzziest names in the league around the midseason trade deadline as the Jets sold off pieces. They didn’t get the offers they wanted to move on from the fourth-year back, though, and that suggests they might not be done with him after his rookie contract is up this year. He’s been by far the best thing about the Jets’ offense this year and is still just 24 years old. If the Jets let him reach free agency, there would be a strong market for his services from contending teams looking for another offensive piece. Instead, look for the Jets to use the franchise tag at around $14 million to keep Hall in the fold and buy time to work out a long-term deal.
Walker was also selected in the second round of the 2022 draft like Hall, making him a pending free agent after this season. After battling injuries the last two years, Walker is healthy and leading Seattle’s backfield in 2025, turning 136 carries into 606 yards (4.5 YPC) and four touchdowns. The Seahawks have the franchise tag available as well if no extension is reached before the start of the league year in March but the wrinkle to consider is the presence of RB Zach Charbonnet , who has proven more than capable of shoulder the load when Walker has been hurt and has been nearly even splitting carries with him so far this season — though he’s been less productive. Ultimately, it feels like Walker’s too explosive for the Seahawks to let him walk for nothing.
Rodgers has played the “will he, won’t he” game with retirement before, and given Pittsburgh’s winning record and Rodgers’ productivity, there will certainly be a temptation from both sides to run things back in 2026. It’s hard to shake the feeling when watching Rodgers, though, that he’s going out of his way to avoid contact. That plus his appetite for the grind of another season could end up pushing him to his next chapter.
For the first time in his career, Evans will finish with less than 1,000 yards receiving, as a series of injuries proved too much to overcome. He turns 33 next August and is currently not under contract for the Buccaneers. However, we have seen this situation play out before. Whether Evans retires or decides to keep playing, it’s almost impossible to see him doing it in any jersey but a Bucs jersey.
Similar to Evans, Allen is at a point in his career where the motivation to keep playing would likely shrink if forced to move to a new team and city. He’s also been a productive role player for the Chargers this year. Allen turns 34 in April, and my hunch is he’ll play for the Chargers or nobody in 2026.
Another blockbuster veteran who’s in the final year of his contract, Kelce has played coy about whether 2025 is his swan song or not. The 36-year-old has a lot waiting for him in his post-playing career, from pending nuptials to pop star Taylor Swift to a budding media career. Nothing is quite like football, though. Kelce has said in the past he’d pay the Chiefs to play football because he loves it so much. If he wants to come back for another season, the two sides can certainly find a number that works.
Projected Top 25 2026 Free Agents
With eight players subtracted from the list, here’s what the top of the 2026 free agent class could look like. It feels like something we’ve been saying every year for a few years now, but it’s not a banner group. It might not necessarily be weaker than last year but there’s not a lot of star power available and the depth falls off a cliff quickly. There are always gems to be found, though, as well as the usual land mines to avoid.
When the Bengals reached their compromise with Hendrickson to end the contract standoff between the two sides before this season, they preserved the right to use the franchise tag and keep him in 2026. For a stubborn organization, that possibility can’t be discounted, but it would cost at least $30 million guaranteed. There are football arguments for Cincinnati to avoid tying up that much cash and cap space in a 31-year-old pass rusher who has been banged up this year, and the Bengals have historically been wary of giving out major third contracts to veteran players. Hendrickson would have more leverage on a tag than he did this past season when he was still willing to trigger fines for holding out under contract.
If the Bengals make the prudent move and wipe the slate completely clean on defense in 2026, that should free up Hendrickson to pursue the long-term deal he’s been seeking for a while. He’s missed time with a sports hernia injury this year but in seven games he still has four sacks. He ranks seventh in ESPN’s pass rush win rate among edge rushers, so if healthy he can still be a difference-maker for a defense.
Thanks to a quirk in how the NFL calculates the franchise tag and fifth-year option, Linderbaum has a lot of leverage for his next contract. For tags and tenders, the league lumps all offensive linemen together rather than splitting out tackles, guards and centers. The market for all three positions is dramatically different. The fifth-year option for Linderbaum would have been $23.4 million, which is over $5 million more than the current highest-paid center. The franchise tag is even higher at a projected $27.188 million per Over The Cap .
As a result, the Ravens declined the option for Linderbaum, making him a free agent a year sooner than his fellow first-round draft classmates. They also won’t franchise him, meaning Linderbaum has a guaranteed path to the open market. The two-time Pro Bowler should generate quite the bidding war even if the center market lags behind the other positions, and it’ll be a challenge for the Ravens to keep up.
Mafe isn’t lighting up his contract year on the stat sheet with just one sack so far this season, but he was a hot name at the trade deadline because he’s been far more disruptive than the minimal sack totals indicate. ESPN has Mafe ranked 12th in the league among his fellow edge rushers in pass rush win rate at 17 percent. He’s regularly been near the top of the leaderboard in that category, and his 15 sacks over the previous two seasons are more indicative of the type of impact a new team could expect. Seattle has players like CB Devon Witherspoon , WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba , LT Charles Cross and more coming up for new deals, which might mean letting players like Mafe walk, especially with how deep the team is at edge rusher.
Pierce led the NFL in yards per catch last year and he once again is pacing all wideouts in that category in 2025, averaging nearly 23 yards a reception. Obviously he’s an excellent deep threat, but Pierce’s breakout this year has been fueled by the other dimensions he’s added to his game. The receiver market has boomed in recent years and Pierce’s breakout is putting him in position for a deal in the neighborhood of $20 million a year. The Colts will try to match but they’ve got some other big deals to lock up too.
Doubs is the closest thing the Packers have to a No. 1 receiver and he’s been the most consistent member of their receiving corps this year. With all the picks the team has invested in the group over the last few years, however, it’s unlikely they match the market Doubs is sure to get in free agency. He has 39 catches on 64 targets for 499 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games so far.
Tampa Bay talked Dean into a pretty steep pay cut to avoid losing his job on the eve of the season, and even though he’s played well he’s been rotating with the pair of young corners the Bucs took on Day 2 of the draft this year. It seems likely that the team will roll with the trio of Zyon McCollum , Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish in 2026, which will probably leave Dean searching for a starting job elsewhere.
Watson isn’t a household name but he’s developed from a seventh-round pick to a mainstay in the starting lineup for the Chiefs, starting his last 16 healthy games over the past two seasons. He’s got great size to play the boundary and teams are always looking for help at that spot in the secondary. The Chiefs have had a lot of success taking under-the-radar cornerbacks, developing them into starters and letting them walk while having a pipeline already built. Judging by that trend, Watson will be starting for another team in 2026.
Bryant had a bumpy start to his NFL career, starting out primarily as a nickel corner before being moved into a reserve role in his second season. Under HC Mike Macdonald , Bryant has taken a big step forward as a player who moves all over the secondary but plays the vast majority of his snaps back deep at safety. He could come back at the right price but safety is a position that teams are willing to let hit the market more often than not.
With a benching, early-season struggles and trade rumors all behind him, Woolen has found a groove in Seattle’s elite defense. Still, the system isn’t the best match for him. At 6-4 and 210 pounds with elite speed, Woolen has the tools to be a shutdown man coverage cornerback, which is a rare skillset other teams will pay up for.
No team has the Packers’ track record when it comes to developing middle and late-round offensive linemen into quality starters. Walker went from a seventh-round pick to starting 42 games on the blind side over the past three years. He’s closer to average than anything else, but average will get you paid handsomely if you’re an NFL offensive lineman. The Titans gave LT Dan Moore Jr., a similar player, over $20 million a year last offseason.
When teams decline the fifth-year option for former first-round picks, it’s not always a career death knell. Lloyd responded to the decision from Jacksonville’s new regime by putting up a sizzling performance so far in what became a contract year. The former Utah star always had great physical tools, but this year he’s been filling the stat sheet with splash plays. Lloyd has three tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, four pass breakups and four interceptions in eight games.
It puts the Jaguars’ front office in an interesting position, as teams value the linebacker position differently. The Rams, the team Jaguars GM James Gladstone worked for before taking his current job, have been one of the organizations that’s invested the least in the position.
Overnight, Phillips went from one of the worst teams in the league to one of the best. He looks rejuvenated on and off the field. In two games with the Eagles after the trade, Phillips has 11 total tackles, a sack and four quarterback hits. It hasn’t hurt that both have been primetime games. He also ranks near the top of ESPN’s leaderboard for both pass rush win rate and run stop win rate. The former first-round pick is setting himself up to cash in nicely, whether it’s from the Eagles or another team.
Paye hasn’t become a consistent double-digit sack player, which is what every team hopes for when it uses a first-round pick on an edge rusher. He’s developed into a quality complementary player, however, with 16.5 sacks from 2023-2024 and three sacks so far this season. The Colts have other priorities and have invested some significant draft capital into the edge rusher position, so it’s likely another team will pay more for Paye’s services come March.
Los Angeles acquired Oweh in a trade with the Ravens, giving up the heavier side of the deal by surrendering a fifth-round pick and S Alohi Gilman . It’s worked out well for them so far. Oweh had no sacks in five games with the Ravens but has pulled down the quarterback four times in six games with the Chargers. He ranks No. 9 in ESPN’s pass rush win rate, so he’s been disruptive all year, the production might have just caught up with it.
There’s a strong chance Chargers GM Joe Hortiz , who was a senior personnel executive with the Ravens when Oweh was scouted and drafted in the first round, will want to lock up Oweh long term. But unless the Chargers tag him, he’ll have a chance to test his value on the open market.
The results are slightly better for Pitts this year after some years on the struggle bus. He’s averaging the most yards per game he’s had since his rookie season and has 47 catches for 434 yards through 10 games. Atlanta has started using him a lot more on short patterns and his yards per catch has fallen off significantly. Finding the end zone is still a challenge with just one touchdown on the season. A franchise tag in 2026 would cost the Falcons nearly $16 million, which would be a tough sell based on his production so far. A fresh start might be best for both sides.
Before getting hurt this past week, Lake was having a phenomenal season on the back end of the Rams’ rock solid defense. The former sixth-round pick plays the “star” position in Rams DC Chris Shula ’s scheme, meaning he moves around a lot but spends most of his snaps in the slot close to the ball where he can impact the game in a variety of ways. Through 10 games, Lake has 61 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one recovery, an interception and 10 pass breakups. However, there’s a long history of the Rams being willing to let defensive backs walk, and Lake might be the next to find greener pastures and more money elsewhere.
Curl was a free agent find for the Rams last year after starting his career out in Washington. Despite starting 53 games in his first four years as a seventh-round pick, Curl wasn’t prioritized by the Commanders and landed in Los Angeles on a two-year, $9 million deal. He’s outperformed that contract as well. Curl’s got 79 total tackles, a sack, four pass breakups and PFF’s top run defense grade from a safety despite playing the majority of his snaps at distance from the line of scrimmage.
Still just 24 years old, Cross is hitting his stride as a player after a 2024 breakout that saw him notch nearly 150 tackles, three picks, five pass breakups, a forced fumble and a sack. In 2025, Cross has one pick, three pass breakups and 2.5 sacks in a versatile role for DC Lou Anarumo. Keeping him will probably be a priority for Indianapolis, but they’ve got a lot of players on this list and only so much money.
When Vera-Tucker is healthy and on the field, he’s a quality starting guard with a well-rounded skillset in both the run and pass game. The Jets have even been able to kick him out to tackle in a pinch with injuries. Health has been the rub, though. He has been out this whole year with a torn triceps and missed huge chunks of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with another torn triceps and a torn Achilles. The Jets have money to spend, but it’ll be interesting to see if the new regime of HC Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey thinks Vera-Tucker is a wise investment. Even with the injuries, his next contract will be significant.
After a mental health crisis related to an obsessive-compulsive disorder impacted his availability and performance in 2024, Smith has been back and playing well in 2025. He and the Colts agreed to a reduced contract that made him a free agent after this season, and Smith is set up to cash in big-time thanks to a strong performance. He’s started all 10 games at right tackle and ranks 34th out of 76 qualifying tackles per PFF . Smith doesn’t turn 30 until March, so even though this will be his third major contract, he should be in high demand, especially with the scarcity of solid offensive tackles around the league.
Andrews looked pretty spry on his go-ahead touchdown run (yes, run) in Week 11 against the Browns, and he is about to move into sole possession of first place on the Baltimore franchise leaderboard for all three categories of catches, yards and touchdowns. Still, he’s one of three tight ends in a contract year for Baltimore, and his season-long totals suggest he’s lost a bit of a step. The Ravens won’t close the door on Andrews for the right price and role, it’s just a question of whether that’s what he envisions for himself going forward.
Despite significant trade buzz this offseason, the Eagles elected to hold onto Goedert and he’s been a productive piece of the offense this season with 36 catches, 356 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns in just nine games. The Eagles don’t have much spending room next year, though, and Goedert turns 31 in January. Part of the key to managing the salary cap the way the Eagles do is getting out on players at the right time. They’ll try to keep Goedert but they might not be the highest bidders.
Washington hasn’t had the season it envisioned this offseason when it was swinging big trades, including a deal to bring in Samuel from San Francisco, but the multi-purpose weapon has been solid. He’s the Commanders’ leading receiver with 53 catches, 470 yards and five touchdowns, plus another 52 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Both sides could look for a redo in 2026 when QB Jayden Daniels is healthier. If Washington decides to try and get younger, Samuel should have a strong market from contending teams looking for a complementary weapon.
NFL teams put a huge premium on speed, and Shaheed is one of the fastest players in football. He’s seemed like he’s been poised to break out the past couple of years, but something has always held him back, whether it was an injury in 2024 after just six games or a struggling Saints offense with young quarterbacks this year. The Seahawks traded for him at the deadline this year and will be motivated to re-sign him, but short of using the franchise tag, they’ll have stiff competition.
