10 Trades, Free-Agency Decisions and Teams That Could Define 2026 NFL Offseason

Darkness has descended across the NFL.

After Seattle's win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, the offseason is officially here. It's a quiet time across the NFL, with little activity.

Just kidding. The NFL never sleeps. As soon as one season ends, the next begins. And if teams want to have success in 2026, the time to start working toward it is now.

There will be no shortage of storylines in the weeks and months to come, even if there aren't any games. Several big-name players could be traded, free agency is an annual frenzy of spending and player movement, and a number of teams are facing a critical offseason that could shape their franchises for years to come.

How all that drama unfolds will be must-see TV for fans. And it will define the offseason, which will in turn go a long way toward determining how things play out when teams take the field again this fall.

Trade: QB Kyler Murray

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

When the Arizona Cardinals hired new head coach Mike LaFleur, it created the possibility that the Redbirds might hang on to quarterback Kyler Murray for another season.

However, per NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo, the more likely scenario after an injury-marred season in which he played just five games is that the 2019 first overall pick will be playing elsewhere in 2026.

In a vacuum, there would appear to be a fairly robust market for Murray. Yes, the diminutive signal-caller has his limitations. He has never thrown for 4,000 yards in a season, but he has been named to a pair of Pro Bowls. In the right offense, the 28-year-old can be at least a capable NFL starter.

The issue is the five-year, $230.5 million contract Murray signed in 2022. He has a cap number of $52.7 million in 2026. He's guaranteed $36.8 million regardless of what happens, but if he's on the team's roster past the first week of the new league year, which begins March 11, he is guaranteed an extra $20 million going into next season.

Given that bloated deal, the return Arizona gets in a trade would likely be limited to a Day 3 pick. But a trade involving Murray would also result in a far lower dead cap hit than releasing him.

The New York Jets have a glaring need at quarterback, plenty of draft capital and over $80 million in cap space. But the Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns are also potential suitors.

Free Agent: Edge Trey Hendrickson

AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar

This free-agent decision really isn't one—at least for his current team.

Yes, the Cincinnati Bengals could place the franchise tag on Trey Hendrickson and then attempt to trade him. But there's already more than a little bad blood between the 31-year-old and the team. The wisest move may well be for both sides to just call it a day and move on.

If that's the case, the veteran won't hurt for suitors—but those suitors could be facing a tricky decision.

On one hand, it's easy to see why teams would line up to throw bags of cash at Hendrickson. Over a five-year stretch from 2020 to 2024, he was one of the most productive pass-rushers in the NFL, logging at least 13.5 sacks in four of those five seasons. Two years ago, he led the league with 17.5 sacks.

In addition to last year's contract drama, however, he also battled injuries in 2025. He missed 10 games, played just 285 snaps and logged his fewest sacks (four) since 2018.

Those are potentially alarming numbers for a player the wrong side of 30 who will be looking for $30 million a season or more. But Hendrickson plays a premium position, and teams like the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots are in dire need of pass-rush help and have the cap space to make a deal work.

Team: Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/Gregory Bull

The Las Vegas Raiders were once one of the proudest franchises in the NFL and a perennial contender.

That was a long time ago. The Raiders have had one winning season since 2016. The franchise's last postseason victory came over two decades ago. The Pete Carroll era in Vegas was a three-win fiasco.

Now, there's a new head coach in former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. And while he and general manager John Spytek have a lot of work to do and many holes to fill, they also have quite a few assets to work with.

That 3-14 calamity of a 2025 season landed the Raiders the first overall pick in 2026. There is little chance that the selection is going to be used on anyone other than Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

The Raiders are also sitting on a sizable war chest in regard to free agency—the $91.5 million in cap space the Raiders possess is the second-most in the league. And while the Raiders are bad, it's also an attractive destination playing for a storied team in a state that doesn't have any income tax.

That matters. Tom Brady's presence doesn't hurt, either.

The Raiders are well-positioned for a massive offseason overhaul, but the team's first decision could shape much of the offseason.

And that decision is next up on our list.

Trade: Edge Maxx Crosby

AP Photo/Maria Lysaker

Klint Kubiak's first order of business as Raiders head coach should be to get star edge-rusher Maxx Crosby on the phone and do whatever is necessary to sell him on what the team is doing in 2026.

Kubiak admitted as much while speaking to reporters.

"We want him to be a part of our success going forward. There's no doubt about that," he said. "He's one of the best players in the NFL, so that's a no-brainer to get to work with Maxx and see him continue to have success with his organization."

However, if reports are true that Crosby isn't interested in another rebuild and wants out of Las Vegas and Kubiak can't mend that fence, a trade could be almost as seismic as last year's Micah Parsons deal.

Crosby doesn't quite have Parsons' sack upside. He's also a couple of years older and makes over $35 million a season.

But Crosby is a ferocious edge-setter and one of the top-10 (if not top-five) edge-rushers in the game. And while his contract may be massive, it's also very tradeable, with a dead cap hit around $5 million if Crosby is dealt.

Parsons got the Dallas Cowboys a pair of first-round picks and a veteran player. Crosby would probably net a similar return, and contenders like the Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and even the Super Bowl champion Seahawks would likely have considerable interest in adding a difference-maker like Crosby.

Free Agent: QB Malik Willis

AP Photo/Mike Roemer

It's not a great year for teams that need quarterback help. The free-agent market doesn't have a Sam Darnold (or even a healthy Daniel Jones) available. Fernando Mendoza is the only draft prospect widely regarded as a first-round talent.

That could lead to desperate teams making desperate decisions—and to Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis getting a massive payday.

Over four seasons in the NFL, Willis has made all of six starts—three for the Tennessee Titans and three in place of an injured Jordan Love in Green Bay. The starts for the Titans were ugly, but as ESPN's Ben Solak noted, Willis has shown huge improvement as a passer over his two years in Titletown.

"Willis has gone 70-of-89 (79% completion rate) for 972 yards, and that 10.9 yards per attempt ranks miles ahead of second place (Lamar Jackson at 8.7)," he wrote. "His 9.2 yards per dropback is also miles ahead of second place (Jackson at 7.7). And his 86.3 total QBR is miles ahead of second place (Jackson at 69.9)."

History shows that big quarterback contracts after small sample sizes can backfire, as they did with Jimmy Garoppolo in San Francisco and Brock Osweiler in Houston.

But make no mistake. Teams like the Arizona Cardinals (if they move on from Murray), Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers (if Aaron Rodgers retires) are going to have interest in offering Willis a chance to start in 2026.

And it won't be at all surprising if Willis lands a deal averaging over $25 million a season.

Team: San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Maria Lysaker

The Kyle Shanahan/John Lynch brain trust in San Francisco is one of the best in the NFL. Given the injuries that swept through the team on both sides of the ball, the fact that the 49ers won 12 games, made the playoffs and knocked off the Eagles in Philadelphia in the Wild Card Round was incredibly impressive.

If the Niners can hold things together this offseason, their 2026 performance might be even more impressive.

There likely won't be a mass exodus of high-priced players again this year (something that makes San Francisco's 2025 campaign all the more impressive), but the 49ers have a long list of potential problems.

San Francisco's pass-catching corps is a mess. Star tight end George Kittle tore his Achilles in the playoffs, wide receiver Jauan Jennings is a free agent, and Brandon Aiyuk's time in the Bay Area is over. If Jennings doesn't return, the team will have oft-injured Ricky Pearsall and not much else.

Defensively, the 49ers were dead-last in the league in sacks last year. The team's top-two edge-rushers, Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams, are both coming off ACL tears.

The good news for the 49ers is that they have some cap space to play with—around $43 million. Outside Jennings, San Francisco doesn't have a lot of in-house free agents to worry about.

But in an NFC West that just produced three teams that won at least 12 games and the Super Bowl champion, Lynch has little margin for error in 2026—in free agency or the draft.

Trade: QB Tua Tagovailoa

AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Yes, it's another quarterback. No position defines the NFL more, so no position will define the offseason more.

Not that long ago, no one would have expected Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins to be on the trade block. In 2022, he led the league in passer rating. In 2023, he led the league with 4,624 passing yards. In 2024, he paced the NFL in passer rating. He made a Pro Bowl and received a four-year, $212.4 million contract.

But even while the 27-year-old was leading the league in passer rating, his play was declining. Partway through the 2025 campaign, he was benched. The new regime in Miami has made it clear he isn't in their future plans.

Even Tagovailoa acknowledged to reporters that a fresh start could be best for all involved.

"That would be dope," he said. "I would be good with it."

The biggest sticking point in a Tagovailoa trade is that contract—and it's a major sticking point. He is already guaranteed $54 million in 2026. The Dolphins would all but certainly have to eat part of those guarantees—and a dead cap hit of $45.2 million if he's traded before June 1.

Of course, releasing the Alabama product would result in an even bigger cap hit—a record $99.2 million. Trading him would net next to nothing in terms of draft capital—it would be a straight-up salary dump.

But there are teams with a need at quarterback and cap space to burn who could talk themselves into Tagovailoa as a reclamation project—especially if he's willing to renegotiate his deal if it means another chance to start in the NFL.

Free Agent: WR Alec Pierce

AP Photo/Martin Meissner

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens is the top player at his position set to hit free agency. However, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported he isn't going anywhere.

The Colts would no doubt also like to keep Alec Pierce, but they face some tough choices this spring with the likes of quarterback Daniel Jones and offensive tackle Braden Smith also about to become free agents.

There's a real chance Pierce hits the open market—and if he does, the 25-year-old is going to get paid.

Pierce is coming off the best season of his career—47 receptions for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns. Pierce averaged 21.3 yards per catch—the second consecutive season that he led the league in that category. As Greg Auman pointed out at Fox Sports, Pierce had over 100 fewer targets in 2025 than Ja'Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals, but only 409 fewer receiving yards.

The list of teams that could use a downfield threat like Pierce in the prime of his career isn't a short one. The Tennessee Titans need all the offensive weapons they can get and have more cap space than any team in the league. The Pittsburgh Steelers badly need a No. 2 wideout to pair with D.K. Metcalf. The Buffalo Bills need a pass-catcher who can stretch the field.

Pierce's market could get wild, and it won't be surprising to see him clear $20 million a season in a new deal, possibly by a lot.

Team: Buffalo Bills

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

Some might be surprised that the New England Patriots aren't listed here. The team's lopsided loss exposed flaws on the roster, but with over $42 million in cap space the Pats are well-positioned to address those flaws in free agency.

The Buffalo Bills are another story.

After longtime head coach Sean McDermott was fired, a clear message was sent: Close isn't good enough. It's Super Bowl or bust for the Bills in 2026. And while general manager Brandon Beane was retained, the seat he's on is rather toasty.

The Bills have issues of their own. The team lacks a true No. 1 wide receiver—or even a No. 2 wideout who can really take the top off a defense. The Bills were 28th in the league in run defense last season. And that is before you even factor in prominent in-house free agents such as edge-rusher Joey Bosa, guard David Edwards and center Connor McGovern.

What the Bills don't have is a lot of resources to address those issues—the team is over $7 million in the red against the projected salary cap for 2026. The team will no doubt redo some deals to free up wiggle room, but Buffalo will be hard-pressed to be major players in free agency.

That amps up the pressure on Beane to find some value free agents and/or hammer this year's draft. The alternative is falling that much farther behind the Patriots in the AFC East—and a perennial AFC power in recent years being relegated to also-ran status.

Trade: CB Marlon Humphrey

AP Photo/Nick Wass

It was tempting to include Indianapolis Colts signal-caller Anthony Richardson here. But quarterbacks have had enough run in this piece already, so we'll close things out with a potential trade candidate on defense.

Like the Buffalo Bills, the Baltimore Ravens shook the snow globe after missing the playoffs in 2025—after almost two decades that included a Super Bowl win, the team showed head coach John Harbaugh the door.

However, the switch to Jesse Minter doesn't magically fix all the team's problems, and Baltimore doesn't have the cap space to be significant players in free agency—yet.

When the Ravens signed cornerback Marlon Humphrey to a five-year, $98.75 million extension in 2020, it was for good reason. He had just made his first Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro. He would go on to make three more Pro Bowls and earn another first-team All-Pro nod in 2024.

But while the 29-year-old intercepted four passes in 2025, he was also targeted more times than he had been since 2020, and his passer rating against was over 20 points higher than the year before. He is entering the final year of that extension in 2026, and his cap hit is over $26 million.

Releasing Humphrey outright (with a post-June 1 designation) would provide more cap relief than trading him. But his resume and the number of teams hurting for help on the back end could net the Ravens a high enough pick to make the larger (one-year) dead cap hit worth it.