NFL Free Agents 2026 Rumors and Predictions Before Playoff Bracket is Set

The NFL playoffs picture will be determined by the end of Sunday's Week 18 action but for some teams on the outside of the postseason picture, their focus is on the upcoming offseason and the impending free agents available to them.

For the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, and New York Jets, efforts will be focused on retaining three players who were standouts for them this season.

Dive deeper into those team's situations with stars Daniel Jones, George Pickens, and Breece Hall, with the latest from NFL insiders.

Colts Interested in Re-Signing Daniel Jones

AP Photo

The Indianapolis Colts became the first team since the 1995 Oakland Raiders to miss the playoffs despite an 8-2 record to start the season.

Much of that unenviable history can be attributed to the torn Achilles suffered by Daniel Jones against the Jaguars on December 7. The former first-round draft pick with the New York Giants balled out in his first season with the Colts, earning MVP and Comeback Player of the Year consideration as he threw for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 13 games.

With head coach Shane Steichen, Jones had the Colts offense rolling and the team looking like one of the NFL's best.

According to Stephen Holder of ESPN, the team wants to pick up where things left off with Jones. "Among the discussions that probably have already been had: [general manager Chris] Ballard's and Steichen's current plan -- revealed by team sources -- to re-sign Jones in the spring, hoping for a quick recovery with the belief he can be their long-term quarterback solution."

Holder also noted that if those are the current plans, it would suggest that co-owner and CEO of the Colts, Carlie Irsay-Gordon has decided on Ballard and Steichen's futures with the organization.

The Colts have been desperately seeking the answer at quarterback since Andrew Luck's retirement ahead of the 2019 season. Jones gave them a look at what excellence could be in Indianapolis.

It makes sense that those in power want him back and given the level of his play in 2025, before the injury, that he would want to return to the organization.

Prediction: Jones remains in Indianapolis on a long-term deal

Latest on George Pickens' Future in Dallas

AP Photo

George Pickens had the best season of his four-year career in 2025, tallying 92 receptions for 1,420 yards and nine touchdowns. His chemistry with quarterback Dak Prescott was undeniable and helped fuel a push toward the postseason as the season entered its final quarter.

With expectations that the receiver's play could attract offers in the realm of $30 million, Todd Archer and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported:

"Some around the league are uncertain whether Dallas would acquiesce, given the franchise tag of roughly $27 million to $28 million is well under that total. That would open up the possibility of Pickens skipping the offseason program and training camp if he and the club are unable to reach a long-term agreement by July 15, 2026."

Archer and Fowler added, "The early signs are that Dallas is not afraid of the franchise tag number. 'He ain't leaving,' a team source predicted."

Pickens stepped up and became the top receiver for the Cowboys amid injuries to CeeDee Lamb and a favorite target of Prescott, so it makes sense that the organization would want to keep him, even if it means applying the franchise tag.

Considering how important he was to the Cowboys' offense, Lamb is likely destined to continue his career in Dallas, at least for another season.

Prediction: Lamb stays put on franchise tag

Jets Want Breece Hall to Stay in the Big Apple

AP Photo

For the first time in nine seasons, the New York Jets have a 1,000-yard rusher in Breece Hall and, understandably, they want to keep him in the Big Apple beyond the 2025 season.

ESPN's Rich Cimini reported, "From all indications, though, the Jets remain very interested in retaining Hall before he hits the open market as a free agent in March. Coach Aaron Glenn called him 'a high-level running back' who, to use one of the coach's expressions, still offers plenty of meat on the bone."

Considering the Jets' offense woes, it makes sense that the coaching staff and organization would want to keep its most valuable asset on that side of the ball.

Amid another season of losing, Hall compiled his most impressive season yet. The Iowa State product was the workhorse for the green and white, carrying 243 times for a total of 1,065, an average of 4.4 yards per, and four touchdowns.

He added 36 receptions for 350 yards and a touchdown.

The biggest question facing Hall is whether he feels like he has unfinished business in New York or if he wants to play his trade with a winning franchise that has realistic chances at the postseason.

NFL insider Jordan Schulz reported before the trade deadline in November that Hall wanted out of New York. This came on the heels of Sauce Gardner's blockbuster trade to Indianapolis.

When the trade did not occur, Schulz noted that the offers were not "good enough" for the Jets.

If Hall really did want out in November, nothing that has happened since should be enough to change that mentality. Entering the final week of the regular season, the team is 3-13, one of the worst in the league, and facing major questions about the roster moving forward.

Hall is in his athletic prime, just had his first 1,000-yard season, and is an explosive back who could benefit playoff contenders in need of a more consistent run game. With that said, regardless of how badly the Jets want him back in 2026 and beyond, Hall moves on in the off-season barring a historic deal he cannot turn down.

Prediction: Hall signs elsewhere