2026 NFL Free Agency Tracker: The League Year Opens at 4 p.m. ET — and It's Already Chaos
Before a single contract became official, the Maxx Crosby trade exploded, a quarterback carousel spun three directions at once, and one of the best pass rushers in football is still sitting without a team. Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. ET is when the ink dries — here's everything that matters heading into the opening bell.
The Crosby Collapse Changes Everything
2026 NFL free agency effectively started March 6, when the Baltimore Ravens agreed to send the Las Vegas Raiders two first-round picks in exchange for perennial Pro Bowl pass rusher Maxx Crosby. Five days later, it's dead.
Crosby failed his physical Tuesday night — Baltimore got its picks back, and one of the best edge rushers in the game is suddenly back on the market with a documented knee issue and a price tag nobody has re-bid on yet. The Dallas Cowboys, after failing in their initial bid to land Crosby, pivoted quickly, trading for Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
The Chicago Bears, the Minnesota Vikings, and several other teams are now recalibrating their defensive line strategies in the wake of the failed deal.
The Quarterback Market Is Wide Open
Three starting-caliber quarterbacks are moving simultaneously — and the dust won't settle until the ink does.
Malik Willis agreed to terms with the Miami Dolphins on a three-year, $67.5 million deal, replacing the released Tua Tagovailoa under center in South Beach. Tua himself landed softly — signing with the Atlanta Falcons on a one-year, $1.3 million veteran minimum deal to compete with 2024 top-10 pick Michael Penix Jr.
The Minnesota Vikings emerged as the frontrunner to sign Kyler Murray after the Arizona Cardinals formally released the 2019 No. 1 overall pick, with the Browns, Jets, and Falcons also monitoring his market closely. Travis Kelce's NFL future, which had been genuinely uncertain, was resolved: Ian Rapoport reported Kelce will return to the Chiefs for another season.
Trey Hendrickson Is Still Unsigned
The most confounding story of the opening window involves a man who led the NFL in sacks as recently as 2024 and still can't find a deal.
Hendrickson was ranked as the No. 2 overall free agent on multiple major rankings, but the biggest reason he hasn't signed is simple: a gap of about $10 million per year between what he wants and what teams are willing to pay. He is 31, coming off core muscle surgery in December that limited him to four sacks in seven games last season.
The highest-paid pass rusher in free agency so far is Jaelan Phillips, who got $30 million per year from the Carolina Panthers. Hendrickson reportedly wants to top that number — but no team has been willing to go there. He was expected to make a decision Wednesday.
The Biggest Deals Already Done
The market moved fast. Among the transactions agreed to before Wednesday's official open:
Minkah Fitzpatrick is being acquired by the New York Jets from the Miami Dolphins for a seventh-round pick, and will sign a three-year, $40 million extension with New York. Boye Mafe signed a three-year, $60 million deal. OT Laremy Tunsil inked a two-year, $60.2 million extension including $52.65 million fully guaranteed.
Mike Evans ended his 11-year tenure in Tampa Bay, agreeing to a three-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers. The Houston Texans traded right tackle Tytus Howard to the Cleveland Browns for a fifth-round pick, with Howard then signing a three-year, $63 million extension with Cleveland.
Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a package of draft picks including the 29th overall pick in 2026, with a long-term extension expected to follow.
The Cap Number That Sets the Ceiling
The 2026 NFL salary cap is set at $301.2 million per club — a $22 million jump over last year and another record figure. That number is why the market is moving at this pace. More cap space means more desperation to spend it before the draft resets the conversation entirely.
Of the top 100 free agents, 25 of the top 30 had either signed or been tagged as of Tuesday evening. The remaining names — Hendrickson chief among them — will almost certainly move before the week is out.
