Projected Contracts for T.J. Watt and the NFL’s Biggest 2026 Free Agents

Training camp is just around the corner in the NFL. For most players, the focus now is on getting in shape and preparing for the upcoming season.

However, for some NFL stars a cloud looms over them. Those players are in a contract year and want to get paid, but no one has showed up at their door with a fat bag of cabbage.

Now, some of those players have insisted it’s no big deal. Negotiations are ongoing. They reported for OTAs, and the prevailing thought is they will get their contract before the season begins.

But at least one high-end edge-rusher has been engaged in a contentious contract impasse most of the offseason. An even higher-profile one has become the subject of growing trade speculation. There’s a non-zero chance that when they do get paid, it will be by a different team.

It’s also possible at least a couple of the players listed here will play out their contracts, followed by a waiting game to see if they are franchise-tagged and even more turkey-talk between agents and teams.

At some point, though, every player here is going to get a payday. Likely a massive one.

Edge T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers

AP Photo/Nick Wass

T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers is one of the best pass-rushers of his generation. In eight NFL seasons. He has logged 108 career sacks, including an NFL-record-tying 22.5 in his Defensive Player of the Year season in 2021.

Given that gaudy production (including $11.5 sacks a year ago), making Watt one of the league’s highest paid defensive players might seem a no-brainer. But he is 30, has an injury history and faded a bit late in the 2024 season.

Per Ari Meyer of SI, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, it’s those age and durability issues that have caused the impasse between Watt and the Steelers—and given rise to growing speculation he could be traded:

"Yeah, I mean that's more the common sense around the league. Why would the Steelers be waiting so long? Why would there be this sense that there's a gap? You never pay a guy for what he's done. If you pay guys for what they've done, you're asking for trouble. And you know, the cliche used to be that the NFL is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league. It's not that either. It's what are you doing for me right now and what do I expect you to do for me tomorrow? That's what guys get paid on. They don't get paid on the past, they don't get lifetime achievement contracts. They get paid based on what we think this guy brings to the table right now, this year, next year and maybe one year beyond that. And that's the key."

It's still hard to imagine the Steelers trading Watt, but it can’t be ruled out. What isn’t up for debate is that someone is going to pay him—and when they do, his deal will rival (or surpass) Myles Garrett’s $40 million per season.

Projected Contract: Three years, $121 million, $81 million guaranteed

Edge Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Gareth Patterson

This contract is the biggest no-brainer on this list.

It might not have happened yet, but edge-rusher Micah Parsons is going to get a massive extension from the Dallas Cowboys.

And while appearing on Get Up, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said the expectation is that when pen is put to paper, Parsons will become the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player:

“Most people believe that a deal will get done for Micah Parsons at some point this summer. And when it does get done, it is expected to make him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. It will be a huge number. It should surpass Myles Garrett. It'll give Micah Parsons that distinction. And most people believe that the deal will get done at some point here in the coming weeks."

It’s not hard to see why the Cowboys would break the bank for Parsons. At 26 years old, he is only just now entering the prime of his career. He has been an impact defender from the moment he hit the field, logging at least 12 sacks in all four NFL seasons. And he has been relatively durable—his six missed games in 2024 were the first of his career.

That missed time last year may well be the only reason he hasn’t already been re-upped. Well, that and figuring out how to maneuver his looming megadeal under the Cowboys’ cap.

But make no mistake: Parsons is going to get paid.

And when he does, he will probably become the first $200 million defender the NFL has seen.

Projected Contract: Five years, $201.5 million, $141 million guaranteed

Edge Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar

OK, just one more edge-rusher. Promise.

The saga surrounding Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals has been one of the NFL’s biggest storylines all summer.

After leading the league with 17.5 sacks in 2024 (his second straight year hitting that number), the 30-year-old wants a new deal—and isn’t going to report until he gets one. The Bengals don’t appear overly willing to pony up the big bucks.

As Jeff Kerr noted for CBS Sports, something has to give:

“Cincinnati has failed to give Hendrickson an extension after paying Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins this offseason, which was the Bengals' top priority. They want to keep Hendrickson and haven't entertained trade offers for him, but Hendrickson may force their hand. How much Hendrickson is worth makes this difficult. Hendrickson is 30 years old and won't be getting $40 million a season like Myles Garrett or $35 million a season like Maxx Crosby—but he should be in the ballpark. Unless he gets near Crosby's salary, the Bengals will have issues signing him. If this holdout goes into late August, the Bengals will have little choice but to trade Hendrickson. They shouldn't do that, but Hendrickson has the leverage here. This deal needs to be done early in training camp.”

If the Bengals have legitimate aspirations of a deep playoff run, they need to figure out a way to get a deal done with Hendrickson. But with each passing week, that appears less likely.

Sometimes, NFL front offices can be befuddling. But at some point, Hendrickson is going to get his.

It just may be in Green Bay or Detroit.

Projected Contract: Three years, $103.5 million, $74.5 million guaranteed

WR Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Derik Hamilton

The Washington Commanders appear to be all-in on trying to back up last year’s NFC title game run. The team swung a pair of big-time trades in the offseason for offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

However, the Commanders have yet to re-up wide receiver Terry McLaurin, despite five straight 1,000-yard seasons and a career-high 13 scores a year ago.

Bleacher Report’s James Palmer reported recently that McLaurin isn’t looking to become the next $40 million receiver. But there’s still a pretty sizable gap between player and team in negotiations.

"He held out of OTAs, out of minicamp, let's remember this, though, Dan Quinn has stayed in constant contact with Terry McLaurin. Throughout this offseason, it hasn't been contentious in that sense to where he's separate from the organization. Is there distance? Is there frustration? Certainly. Did they make really any headway through the entire month of June? To my understanding, no, they really didn't. And they were pretty far apart in really making any sort of progress."

"Now, he has comparable numbers to some of the players that have been paid. Obviously, that's part of Terry's argument. Does he want to reset the market? No, we understand (Bengals WR) Ja'Marr Chase hit that $40 million (annually). But what he's looking at, from my understanding, more importantly, is that there's seven players making more than $30 (million). And you look at a guy who is a No. 2 wide receiver in Tee Higgins, who's making about $28 (million), Terry understands that he should be, and I agree with this, in those 30s numbers."

Right now, Philadelphia's A.J. Brown is fifth among wide receivers in average annual salary at $32 million a season. Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions is sixth at just over $30 million a year.

Split the difference and do the deal.

Projected Contract: Four years, $124 million, $83.5 million guaranteed

OT Rashawn Slater, Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/John McCoy

Over four professional seasons, Rashawn Slater of the Los Angeles Chargers has developed a reputation as one of the NFL’s better young offensive tackles. Per Pro Football Focus, the 26-year-old allowed three sacks in just over 900 snaps a year ago. He graded out at that site as a top-five player at his position across the board.

Slater was at mandatory minicamp, and he told reporters that he’s not overly concerned about his contract situation.

"We'll see," he said. "I think, you know, my agent obviously is having those conversations on my behalf, so for me I'm just focused on training and whatever happens happens. To be honest with you, just going to continue training. All of that, kind of haven't really thought that far ahead. But obviously my intention is to play this year."

However, Joel Corry of CBS Sports (a former agent) expects Slater’s next deal to reset the market at his position.

“I guess the Chargers & Rashawn Slater aren't close on a new deal,” he said. “At a minimum, Slater should be the 1st $30M per year OT. There really should be a massive reset of the OT market. The highest paid edge rusher shouldn't be making 42.22% more than the highest paid OT.”

Slater’s injury history may well be why the Chargers are uneasy about backing up the Brink’s truck—he has missed time in three of four pro seasons, including a ruptured biceps tendon that wiped out most of his 2022 campaign.

But elite offensive tackles are worth their weight in gold.

And Slater weighs about 315 pounds.

Projected Contract: Four years, $120.5 million, $84 million guaranteed

CB DaRon Bland, Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Gareth Patterson

Micah Parsons isn’t the only big contract the Dallas Cowboys have to worry about this year.

But while re-upping Parsons is a no-brainer, the future of cornerback DaRon Bland is less certain.

Two years ago, Bland appeared destined for a massive extension. In 2023, he paced the NFL with nine interceptions, returned an NFL-record five of those picks for touchdowns and posted a passer rating against of 60.8.

However, the 2024 season didn’t go according to plan. A stress fracture wiped out the first 10 games of the season, and when he did return, his passer rating against spiked to over 105. He also failed to record a single interception.

Per Mike Fisher of Athlon Sports, that injury could be making the Cowboys reluctant to extend Bland. So could the big contract the team gave Trevon Diggs in 2023—a contract that hasn’t produced a great return on investment:

“It is possible that the Jerry Jones-led Cowboys want to see a little more here because paying Bland even more than the $20 million APY that Diggs got two years ago. Maybe Diggs' 21 games missed in two years is causing Dallas to be a bit gun-shy. Or maybe Bland's recent history is doing that, as he missed the first 10 games of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot that required surgery. Last year, after his eventual return, he recorded no interceptions. Is there time on Bland? Sure. Plenty of it. Indeed, Dallas could cut Diggs a year from now and save $12 million ... and apply that money to his cornerback room mate.”

Waiting carries risk—with the New York Jets and Sauce Gardner rumored to be closing in on a monster extension, the price tag for elite cornerbacks is only going up. But Dallas needs to make sure Bland actually is an elite corner before they pull the trigger.

So, this deal may not happen until the fall. Or 2026, potentially after Dallas uses the franchise tag in an effort to gain leverage. Or Bland leaves town.

Projected Contract: Three years, $83 million, $51 million guaranteed

OG Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/Ed Zurga

If you saw Super Bowl LIX, then you know the offensive line for the Kansas City Chiefs was a major point of emphasis this offseason. One of the first steps they took in that regard was to slap a $23.4 million franchise tag on right guard Trey Smith.

Now, the team has just a few days before the NFL’s July 15 deadline to negotiate with tagged players. But while making an appearance on the Up and Adams show, Smith said that he’s not overly worried about a deal getting done:

"I leave it to the hands of my agents. Obviously, the front office staff of the Chiefs are elite, and you know, at the end of the day, I just let them take care of it. I just have to focus on being the best version of myself, being the best football player and being prepared for training camp because St. Joe's is around the corner."

Widely regarded as one of the best interior linemen in the league, per Pro Football Focus, Smith didn’t allow a single sack in over 1,100 snaps and graded out as a top-10 pass blocker.

Simply put, this is a player the Chiefs can’t afford to lose. There is speculation the Chiefs and Smith are on the verge of an extension—and that extension will make him the NFL’s highest paid guard.

Among guards with long-term deals, Landon Dickerson of the Philadelphia Eagles sits atop the league in average annual salary at $21 million a season.

Expect Smith to get a slightly beefier deal.

Projected Contract: Four years, $88 million, $54.5 million guaranteed

WR George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/LM Otero

Say what you will about Jerry Jones, but the Dallas Cowboys owner has done an excellent job of playing the salary-cap shell game for quite a few years.

However, Jones and the Cowboys face a massive challenge in 2025 (and 2026) because wide receiver George Pickens is the third Dallas player who could be in line for a fat payday in the months to come.

There has already been no shortage of drama with Pickens, who joined the Cowboys recently in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. For his part, Pickens told reporters that right now he’s much more focused on playing well opposite CeeDee Lamb than on his impending free agency in 2026:

"In the game of football, we can work off each other. There's no, 'Oh, he gets the ball, I get the ball' -- we're working off each other. That's why I always come back to, you know, building a winning culture and that's kind of what we've been talking about in Dallas. I'm kind of where my feet are right now, to be honest. I'm not really thinking about contract talks. I'm just glad to be here at Cowboys right now, you know, trying to build a winning culture."

Pickens is saying all the right things in his new home, and he’s wise to focus on the here and now. Dallas is in no hurry to extend a player who hasn’t played a snap for them. But he has shown that he can be a dangerous vertical threat who will see no shortage of single coverage opposite Lamb.

If he can post his second career 1,000-yard season, Pickens could land a Tee Higgins-esque high-end No. 2 receiver deal.

The bigger question is whether the Cowboys will be able to afford to be the team that doles it out.

Projected Contract: Three years, $76.5 million, $50.5 million guaranteed