Seven NFL teams positioned to get hit hardest by free agency in 2026

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The rise and fall of franchises in the NFL is constant and inevitable, and it’s thanks in no small part to the balancing effects of the salary cap and free agency. For every sudden ascension like the one we saw from the AFC champion New England Patriots, there is a sudden decline like the one experienced by the Kansas City Chiefs. When the new league year rolls around in March, every team strives to get better, but a few are bound to lose a step.

In preparation, we’ve got a look at the seven franchises with the toughest tasks ahead of them in the 2025 free agency period — a result of concerning cap status, impending free agents, team needs or all of the above. Before we get there, though, here is a trio of teams that just missed the top seven and earned the honorable mention label.

NOTE: All salary cap figures are from Over The Cap and are current as of 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

Honorable mention

Minnesota currently sits a concerning $40.1 million over the cap, second-worst in the league behind the Chiefs. However, the Vikings project to be relatively unscathed by departing free agents, with 21 in total (tied for fifth-fewest) carrying a combined average annual salary of just $39.7 million (second-lowest). After 37-year-old safety and potential retiree  Harrison Smith  , their next most notable free agents are LB  Eric Wilson  and part-time starting tackle  Justin Skule  . Considering what he’s done this year, the Vikings might regret letting  Sam Darnold  walk, but it puts them in a better place financially with QB  J.J. McCarthy  ’s measly $6 million cap hit in 2026. They likely won’t be splashy this March, but Minnesota should survive despite the cap troubles.

No offense intended, but it takes a lot for a 3-14 team with a dozen major holes and no franchise quarterback to be hit hard in free agency. There simply isn’t much lower the Jets can drop. They crack the honorable mentions thanks to a whopping 33 impending free agents, tied for second-most in the league. But not a single one of those free agents played more than 65 percent of snaps in 2025 — the most prominent names are RB    Breece Hall    , LB    Quincy Williams    and safety    Andre Cisco    . Additionally, the Jets have $83.2 million in cap space heading into 2026, fourth-most in the league, so their second-year duo of GM Darren Mougey and HC Aaron Glenn should be able to retain the guys they want and sign a new crop of free agents to combine with their pair of first-round draft picks.

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