Predicting the biggest NFL Free Agency moves of 2026
By Andy Davies
NFL Free Agency begins on Monday 9th March, as teams begin to plan for the 2026 season.
This will be a season that will see the Seattle Seahawks look to defend their Super Bowl crown, whilst the Las Vegas Raiders will go into it with the likely first overall pick as Fernando Mendoza seems all but set to end up in the black and silver.
We have already seen some big offseason moves since Super Bowl 60 concluded, none bigger than Maxx Crosby’s trade from the Raiders to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for 2026 and 2027 first round picks.
The Chicago Bears have welcomed in center Garrett Bradbury, whilst seeing DJ Moore traded to the Buffalo Bills and Drew Dalman retire at the age of 27.
Stefon Diggs’ time with the New England Patriots lasted just one season, the Los Angeles Rams traded for Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie and running back David Montgomery was traded from the Detroit Lions to the Houston Texans.
With Free Agency looming, here are the five biggest Free Agency moves predicted to happen in 2026.
Aaron Rodgers to continue Brett Favre trajectory
The careers of Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers have been very similar.
Whilst Favre was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons and Rodgers by the Green Bay Packers, they both failed to start in their rookie years.
However, they both had quarterbacks drafted in the first round to replace them, whilst still playing at an elite level.
Favre and Rodgers became teammates when Green Bay took the latter to be the former’s replacement. Jordan Love was taken in the 2020 NFL Draft to eventually replace the four-time MVP.
Both quarterbacks moved from the Packers to the New York Jets. Favre would then move to the Minnesota Vikings and Rodgers to the Pittsburgh Steelers but there is a chance that Rodgers moves to the Vikings this season.
Rodgers indicated 2025 would be his final season prior to Week One, but there is increased talk that he will continue as an NFL player for his 22nd season.
Mike McCarthy was named as Mike Tomlin’s replacement but he and Rodgers reportedly fell out during the end of their time together in Green Bay.
The Vikings were the biggest losers of the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl 60 win. They saw the quarterback that was in their building 12 months prior, hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
Meanwhile, the quarterback they put faith on him, struggled.
Poor form and struggles to remain healthy has seen JJ McCarthy’s stock at it’s all time lowest since he was drafted 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
McCarthy may need a year to sit and Rodgers would be someone who already has experience teaching an inexperienced quarterback.
With the prospect of throwing to one of the league’s best wide receivers in Justin Jefferson and one of the best WR2’s in Jordan Addison, this could be a match made in heaven.
David Njoku to swap Ohio for South Beach
Tight end David Njoku’s time with the Cleveland Browns looks set to come to an end.
After being drafted 29th overall in 2017, Njoku has gone on to record 384 receptions, 4,062 receiving yards and 34 touchdowns.
He looks set to enter Free Agency and join a new team, going into it as arguably the best player available in the position.
Njoku has the chance to play in a stadium he once called home, with the Miami Dolphins a potential landing spot.
Once a part of the Miami Hurricanes, Njoku already has experience playing at the Hard Rock Stadium on a regular basis and he would not be short of targets given the departures of Tyreek Hill and Darren Waller.
If Njoku wants to go to a Super Bowl contender, he would be very unlikely to end up in Miami, but if he wants a huge lion share in catches and receptions then Miami would be the perfect spot for him.
Mike Evans to move to a Super Bowl contender
One of the best receivers of his generation could be about to find a new home.
Mike Evans looks set to leave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers via Free Agency, a franchise he has been with since 2014. At the age of 32, he will not want to get to a project team.
Three teams that spring to mind are the Bears, Rams and Philadelphia Eagles.
In the Bears, they have just lost DJ Moore and are looking for a replacement. This route may be the draft, but they could be able to afford him with $26 million available in cap space.
With a quarterback in Caleb Williams who excelled in 2025 as the Bears won their first playoff game in 15 years
Chicago will need to learn how to win games without the ‘Cardiac Bears’ tag as teams cannot consistently win games in that mode of fashion.
However, what they do have is a very exciting quarterback, one of the great young coaches in the NFL and a passionate fanbase.
The Philadelphia Eagles are set to lose wide receiver AJ Brown. This would allow Devonta Smith the chance to become the WR1. Evans would be a great guy to have alongside him.
Finally, the Rams are in win now mode. They already have Davante Adams but they could see Evans as an upgrade.
Do not rule out the Kansas City Chiefs, who should never be rule out as a contender as long as Patrick Mahomes is their starter.
Trey Hendrickson to reunite with Lou Anarumo
Trey Hendrickson’s time with the Cincinnati Bengals is all but over.
Reports indicate that the Bengals will not exercise a second straight franchise tag on their edge rusher, someone that came close to leaving 12 months ago.
Per Spotrac, he commands a market value of $25.4 million annually and with the Colts’ salary cap currently in minus figures, this would require a lot to get done.
With former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo now with the Indianapolis Colts in the same role, a reunion with Hendrickson could make this happen.
The departures of Zaire Franklin and Michael Pittman, along with reducing Daniel Jones’ asking price could open up the possibility of acquiring Hendrickson.
Both Anarumo and Hendrickson reached back-to-back AFC Championship games during their time together and would love the chance to bring the good times back in Indy.
Tyreek Hill to return home
It feels like destiny for Tyreek Hill to return to the Chiefs.
Suffering their first losing season in the Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid era, a lack of true weapons for their quarterback became more and more evidently clear as the 2025 season went on.
Hill was released by the Miami Dolphins, the team he left the Chiefs for in 2022. The very next day, he posted on social media that he was in Kansas City.
Defensive lineman Chris Jones has also been vocal about wanting Hill back.
The two stumbling blocks could be whether he is going to be the same player after his season ending knee injury this season, and whether salary demands could be an issue just as it was when he was traded away from the Chiefs.
Despite this, the Chiefs possessing $24 million in cap space. The possibility of a return to Arrowhead seems very possible for the self-proclaimed Cheetah.
ANDY DAVIES
NFL ANALYST
ANDY IS A SPORTS JOURNALISM GRADUATE WITH OVER SIX YEARS EXPERIENCE OF NFL WRITING AND PODCASTING. ANDY HAS BEEN TO EVERY NFL STADIUM AND IS THE HOST OF THE ACROSS THE POD PODCAST. HE HAS PRESS PASS EXPERIENCE AT THE LONDON GAMES AND MANY OTHER NFL BASED EVENTS SUCH AS SUPER BOWL LIX AND LX, HAVING INTERVIEWED THE LIKES OF AARON RODGERS, JUSTIN JEFFERSON, JASON BELL, OSI UMENYIORA, PATRICK MAHOMES, TRAVIS KELCE, DERRICK HENRY, SAQUON BARKLEY AND JALEN HURTS