NFL Free Agency 2026 Start Date, Salary Cap, Rumors and Early Predictions

The 2025-26 NFL postseason officially ended on Sunday with Super Bowl LX. While the dust is still settling on the Seattle Seahawks' big win, the official start to 2026 is right around the corner.

The new league year is slated to arrive at 4 p.m. ET on March 11. With it will come the start of free agency.

Several notable players are slated to hit the open market this spring, though some teams are better equipped, financially, to pursue them. Here, we'll run down every team's projected cap situation, dive into some recent rumors, and make a few predictions.

2026 Salary Cap Outlook

AP Photo/George Walker IV

Titans GM Mike Borgonzi and coach Robert Saleh

Tennessee Titans $99 million

Las Vegas Raiders $87.8 million

New York Jets $82.5 million

Los Angeles Chargers $82.1 million

Seattle Seahawks $75.6 million

Washington Commanders $68 million

Cincinnati Bengals $53.8 million

Los Angeles Rams $46.8 million

Pittsburgh Steelers $44.8 million

Indianapolis Colts $35 million

Arizona Cardinals $34.8 million

New England Patriots $33.2 million

Atlanta Falcons $27.7 million

Denver Broncos $26 million

San Francisco 49ers $25.5 million

Baltimore Ravens $22.7 million

Tampa Bay Buccaneers $14.5 million

Carolina Panthers $11.7 million

Philadelphia Eagles $9.8 million

New York Giants $7 million

Green Bay Packers -$4.3 million

Houston Texans -$5.4 million

Detroit Lions -$9.2 million

Jacksonville Jaguars -$9.2 million

Buffalo Bills -$9.9 million

Chicago Bears -$10.7 million

Cleveland Browns -$19.5 million

Miami Dolphins -$23.3 million

Dallas Cowboys -$31.5 million

Minnesota Vikings -$40.6 million

New Orleans Saints -$41.8 million

Kansas City Chiefs -$58 million

*Cap space based on 2026 cap projections.

Raiders To Spend Big on Offensive Linemen

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Chargers G Zion Johnson

The Las Vegas Raiders have the No. 1 pick in April's draft and are widely expected to use it on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Raiders also had a problematic offensive line in 2025 and are expected to use their surplus of cap space to address it.

"You've got $90 million in cap space this offseason, which means they're going to be bolstering the offensive line," ESPN's Adam Schefter said on his podcast (h/t Mike Moraitis of Yahoo Sports). "Look at all the free agent offensive linemen. A couple of them are going to wind up in Las Vegas as rich men."

The Raiders certainly won't be the only team chasing offensive linemen like Indianapolis Colts tackle Braden Smith, Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, and Los Angeles Chargers guard Zion Johnson. However, they have the financial assets needed to outbid most.

Left tackle Kolton Miller is arguably the only Raiders lineman whose job is truly secure, and with Mendoza headed to Las Vegas, an O-line overhaul is likely incoming, too.

Prediction: Raiders sign Zion Johnson, Braden Smith

Giants To Target Tyler Linderbaum

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Linderbaum should be a top target for virtually every team in need of help at center. He's a 25-year-old three-time Pro Bowler who is one of the top 10 impending free agents at any position.

According to SNY's Connor Hughes, the New York Giants are hoping that Linderbaum will follow former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh to New York.

"Sources I touched base with said to expect this to happen, along with several other Ravens. It's commonplace in the NFL for a new coach to bring a handful of guys with him."

With Harbaugh now in charge of the Giants, we can expect him to target a few of his former players as part of the culture-building process. However, Linderbaum may end up out of New York's price range unless GM Joe Schoen can generate substantial cap space.

And that's assuming Linderbaum even reaches the open market, and the prediction here is that he won't. Baltimore may have a new coach in Jesse Minter, but the franchise has a long history of locking up key players before they reach the open market.

Prediction: The Ravens extend Linderbaum before the start of free agency.

Vikings to Target Veteran Quarterback

AP Photo/Jeff Dean

Bengals QB Joe Flacco

When the Minnesota Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 draft, they believed they were getting a long-term answer at quarterback. After two seasons, though, they have more questions than answers.

McCarthy missed his entire rookie season following knee surgery. He then played at an inconsistent level as a sophomore. Now, Minnesota reportedly wants to add a veteran to the mix as McCarthy enters his third season.

According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, the Vikings will bring in a veteran to compete with McCarthy, and one league source "pondered the possibility" of a Kirk Cousins reunion.

Cousins is expected to be released by the Atlanta Falcons following a contract revision that will guarantee his $67.9 million 2027 salary on March 13, and he's stated his desire to continue playing in 2026.

The prediction here, though, is that new head coach Kevin Stefanski—who once coached Cousins in Minnesota—convinces the quarterback to return on a new deal. The Vikings, meanwhile, turn to another veteran free agent like Joe Flacco or Gardner Minshew.

Prediction: Minnesota signs a veteran QB, but not Cousins

*Cap and contract information from Spotrac.