7 Cap Casualties from 2026 NFL Free Agency That Teams Will Regret

The first official day of NFL free agency is over. We've seen a flurry of signings and trades over the last three days, and if history is any indication, some of those moves will end up being viewed as mistakes.

Some of the cuts made in preparation for free agency will be viewed as mistakes as well.

When teams make players a cap casualty, it often makes sense. That's especially true when a franchise is working with little cap space or needs to offset a massive cap hit elsewhere. However, the teams that released these seven player for savings purposes may come to regret it—whether because their production will be missed or because the hole created will be extremely difficult to replace.

Players who were traded for cap savings were not included here since the compensation received helps to offset the loss.

Tyler Biadasz, C, Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Ed Zurga

Unless the knee and ankle injuries that prematurely ended Tyler Biadasz's 2025 campaign were more severe than they appeared, his release by the Washington Commanders simply didn't make sense.

And seeing as how the Los Angeles Chargers quickly scooped up Biadasz with a three-year, $30 million contract, it would seem that other teams weren't concerned with his recent injury history.

After seeing quarterback Jayden Daniels suffer multiple injuries in 2025, the Commanders should be more focused on building up their offensive line, not tearing it down. They certainly shouldn't have released a 28-year-old center who started 16 games last season and played well.

Pro Football Focus ranked Biadasz 11th overall among qualifying centers for the 2025 season.

Bradley Chubb, Edge, Miami Dolphins

AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

To be perfectly fair, the Miami Dolphins desperately needed to shed salary because they decided to release quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Dumping Tagovailoa's contract came along with a $99.2 million dead-cap hit.

Still, moving on from pass-rusher Bradley Chubb made far less sense than cutting wideout Tyreek Hill, who is recovering from a torn ACL. Chubb will turn 30 in June, but he was productive in 2025, his first season back from his own ACL tear.

Chubb started all 17 games this past season and finished with 43 tackles, 8.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, and 20 quarterback hits.

While Miami does have a promising young pass-rusher in Chop Robinson, it also traded away Jaelan Phillips at last year's trade deadline. New head coach Jeff Hafley may now struggle to generate a quality pass rush in his first season.

To make matters worse, Chubb quickly signed with the rival Buffalo Bills.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Atlanta Falcons.

AP Photo/Danny Karnik, File

With third-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. rehabbing from a torn ACL, the Atlanta Falcons need some quarterback insurance. They could have gotten it by simply keeping veteran Kirk Cousins, who went 5-3 as a starter last season.

Cousins also would have fit well with the offense of new head coach Kevin Stefanski, who previously coached the 37-year-old with the Minnesota Vikings.

Instead, the Falcons reworked Cousins' contract and informed him in February that he would be released in a cap-saving move. Atlanta will now turn to former Dolphins starter Tua Tagovailoa for insurance.

On one hand, there's some logic in adding Tagovailoa. He's a left-handed quarterback, like Penix, so Atlanta won't need to tweak its operation if switching between the two signal-callers. He's also coming in on a league-minimum deal because the Dolphins owe him a lot of money.

The problem is that the Falcons, who should have a very good chance of winning the NFC South this season, are now relying on two quarterbacks who have been inconsistent and injury-prone as pros. If Atlanta doesn't find a capable starter—or a healthy one—they'll regret showing Cousins the door.

Taylor Decker, OT, Detroit Lions

AP Photo/Caroline Brehman,File

To be fair, offensive tackle Taylor Decker asked the Detroit Lions for his release, and the Lions granted his request—trying to hold him hostage might have been just as much of a misstep as releasing him.

According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, however, Detroit approached Decker about taking a "steep" pay cut before his release request.

The issue here is that the offensive line was already a bit of an issue for the Lions. Decker will turn 33 in August and was more good than great this past season—Pro Football Focus ranked him 41st overall among tackles. Still, we're talking about a left tackle who has started 140 games across 10 seasons.

The Lions may try moving Penei Sewell over to left tackle, but that will create a void on the right side. One way or another, though, Detroit is now a team with Super Bowl aspirations and a gaping hole on one side of its offensive line.

Stefon Diggs, WR, New England Patriots

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

The New England Patriots saw quarterback Drake Maye make a significant jump in his second season. The arrival of wide receiver Stefon Diggs had a lot to do with that.

Diggs' numbers might not have matched the three-year, $63.5 million contract he signed last offseason. However, he was still New England's most reliable perimeter threat and one of the most efficient receivers in the NFL.

The 32-year-old led the NFL in ESPN Analytics' Catch Score by a large margin—Diggs had a catch score of 97, while George Kittle and Kayshon Boutte tied with a Catch Score of 91.

Now, there may have been more than money in play with the Patriots' decision—Diggs has ongoing legal issues stemming from assault allegations. The Patriots also grabbed former Green Bay Packers receiver Romeo Doubs with a four-year, $80 million deal. However, taking away Maye's top target following his breakout year may end up being a regrettable decision.

Dre Greenlaw, LB, Denver Broncos

AP Photo/Jack Dempsey

The Denver Broncos had the league's second-ranked defense last season, so it's not too difficult to see how they would view linebacker Dre Greenlaw as expendable. The Broncos had signed the former San Francisco 49ers star to a three-year, $31.5 million contract and then watched him miss multiple games due to injury.

Greenlaw was also suspended for a game for unsportsmanlike conduct toward an official.

Still, Greenlaw is a legitimate difference-maker when he's on the field, and he produced when healthy for the Broncos. He tallied 43 tackles, a sack, and an interception in eight regular-season games. He had another 10 tackles in the playoffs. There's a good chance he'll be even better next season with another year between him and the Achilles injury that cost him most of 2024.

If Greenlaw goes on to shine elsewhere, the Broncos will regret letting him go—especially when his contract looks quite reasonable compared to some of the linebacker deals we've seen this offseason. The New York Giants, for example, signed Tremaine Edmunds to a three-year, $36 million contract.

A'Shawn Robinson, DL, Carolina Panthers

AP Photo/Peter Joneleit

The Carolina Panthers released veteran defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson after giving him permission to seek a trade but failing to find a deal. In a vacuum, the move made some sense.

Robinson will turn 31 later this month, and cutting him saved just over $10 million in cap space. The Panthers also ranked a middling 16th in total defense last season and are clearly looking for a defensive makeover.

Carolina has signed edge-rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd early in the tampering period.

Yet, Robinson was a dependable defender who played a big role in pushing the Panthers into the playoffs. He appeared in all 17 games and racked up 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Pro Football Focus ranked 42nd out of 134 qualifying interior defenders this past season.

Teams with playoff aspirations should never be in the business of letting good players go. The Panthers will now face one twice in 2026, as Robinson signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.