NFL free agency 2026: Tracking every move that happened on Day 1

The NFL free agency two-day negotiating period kicked off on Monday and you can follow every move here

The first day of NFL free agency is officially in the books. Well, free agency doesn't actually start until Wednesday, but the legal tampering period did begin on Monday and things got off to a wild start. 

The Raiders went into the day with the most money to spend and they weren't shy about using it. In a span of 10 hours, the Raiders added several key free agents, including Tyler Linderbaum, Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean and Kwity Paye. 

Linderbaum was ranked as the best free agent available this year on Prisco's top 100 list. Besides, Linderbaum, we saw several key free agents get snatched up: Overall, 22 of the top 30 players on Prisco's top 100 list have either been signed or tagged as of Monday and if you want the full breakdown of where each player ended up, we've got that here. 

We've also got a full team-by-team list of EVERY signing that has happened in free agency so far and you can check that out here. 

Free agency will now be heading into Day 2 of the tampering period and one key thing to keep in mind here is that although players are allowed to verbally agree to terms on a contract with a new team right now, no one can actually sign their new deal until the start of free agency at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. 

If you want to re-live all the action from Monday as it unfolded, be sure to check out all the updates in our live blog below. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 10:15 pm ET · John Breech]

There was plenty of action during the NFL's first unofficial day of free agency, but the fun isn't over yet. There are still quite a few names left on the market to keep an eye for Tuesday. 

Here's a look at the best players from Prisco's top 100 who are still available: 

1. EDGE Trey Hendrickson
2. QB Kyler Murray
3. S Jaquan Brisker
4. OT Rasheed Walker
5. CB Tariq Woolen
6. S Nick Cross
7. WR Romeo Doubs
8. LB Leo Chenal
9. WR Jauan Jennings
10. DE Joey Bosa

Overall, 22 of the top 30 players on Prisco's top 100 list have either been signed or tagged as of today and if you want the full breakdown on where everyone ended up, we've got that here. 

We've also got a full team-by-team list of EVERY signing that has happened in free agency and you can check that out here. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 10:09 pm ET · John Breech]

The Panthers started the day by making a huge move, and now, they're ending the day by making a huge move. The Panthers have agreed to terms with Devin Lloyd on a three-year, $45 million deal that includes $25 million in guaranteed money. 

Lloyd was the top linebacker left in free agency and was trying to decide between the Panthers, Saints and Bengals before he finally made the decision to head to Carolina late Monday night. 

Lloyd will now join Jaelan Phillips in Carolina after the former Eagles pass-rusher made the decision to sign with the Panthers earlier today. It's been a big day for a Panthers team that has now added two of the top defensive players in free agency this year. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 7:40 pm ET · John Breech]

The Steelers lost Kenneth Gainwell in free agency, but they've already found his replacement in Rico Dowdle. The Panthers running back has agreed to terms on a two-year, $12.25 million deal with the Steelers. 

Dowdle has quietly been one of the most impressive running backs in football and he's gone over 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons while playing for two different teams. In 2024 with the Cowboys, he rushed for 1,079 yards while averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Last year, he put up nearly identical numbers for the Panthers, rushing for 1,076 yards with an average of 4.6 yards per carry. Dowdle also went over 245 yards receiving in both seasons. 

Dowdle is a bell cow running back who can handle getting 230+ carries per season. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 7:30 pm ET · John Breech]

Although free agency is unofficially started today with the opening of the two-day tampering period, that does NOT apply to players who got hit with the franchise tag. 

• For players who got hit with the franchise tag, the rules are slightly different. George Pickens, Breece Hall and Kyle Pitts -- the only three players who got tagged -- aren't allowed to talk to other teams until the official start of free agency on Wednesday. This also applies to players who got hit with the transition tag and all restricted free agents. So players like Daniel Jones (transition tag) and Brandon Aubrey (second-round tender) won't be able to talk with teams until 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. 

So if you're waiting to hear some news involving any of those players, you'll be waiting a couple of days. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 7:09 pm ET · John Breech]

The first day of the free agent tampering period has been a crazy one and more and more signings keep trickling in. There have been so many that a few slipped through the cracks, so let's do another round-up of a few signings that happened today that we haven't yet mentioned here. 

• LB Quincy Williams to sign with Browns (two years, $17 million)
• WR Kendrick Bourne to sign with Cardinals (two years, $11.47 million)
• OG Isaac Seumalo to sign with Cardinals (three years, $31.5 million)
• DT Roy Lopez to sign with Cardinals (two years, $11.5 millon)
• OL Cordell Volson to sign with Titans (one-year, $2.5 million)
• S Reed Blankenship to sign with Texans (three years, $24.75 million)
• S Jalen Thompson to sign with Cowboys (three years, $36 million)
• LB D'Marco Jackson to sign with Bears (two years, $7.5 million)
• OL Braxton Jones to re-sign with Bears (one-year, $10 million)
• OL Larry Borom to sign with Lions (Terms not disclosed yet)

The addition of Borom is an interesting one for Detriot because he played right tackle for the Dolphins in 2025 with 11 starts. The Lions already have a right tackle in Penei Sewell, but they don't have a left tackle with the recent release of Taylor Decker. That most likely means that either Sewell or Borom will end up playing left tackle and the safer bet would seem to be that the Lions put Sewell there. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 6:39 pm ET · John Breech]

With Andy Dalton set to become a free agent, the Panthers were in the market for a backup quarterback and they added one on Monday in the form of Kenny Pickett. The former Steelers' first-round pick has agreed to terms on a one-year deal that could be worth up to $7.5 million. 

Pickett started a total of 24 games during his two years with the Steelers (2022-23), but over the past two seasons, he's mainly served as a backup QB in both Philadelphia (2024) and Las Vegas (2025). 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 6:31 pm ET · John Breech]

The Seahawks have decided not to let Shaheed leave Seattle. The free agent receiver will be re-signing with the Seahawks after agreeing to terms on a three-year, $51 million deal. 

The Seahawks acquired Shaheed just before the trade deadline back in November and the deal ended up being a home run for Seattle. Shaheed arguably saved the Seahawks' season when he returned a punt for a touchdown against the Rams that helped spark a Seattle comeback from a 30-14 deficit back in Week 16. 

Shaheed also returned a kickoff for a touchdown in both the regular season and playoffs for the Seahawks. 

The 27-year-old was also a solid receiver, catching 15 passes for 188 yards in nine games. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 6:26 pm ET · John Breech]

The Raiders had the most money heading into free agency and they are putting it to use. The Raiders have made two huge defensive signings with the addition of Eagles LB Nakobe Dean and Packers LB Quay Walker. 

Walker is getting a three-year, $40.5 million deal while Dean is getting a three-year, $36 million deal. With three linebackers set to be free agents, the Raiders needed to make a move and they did that by adding these two. 

The Raiders, who had $111 million in cap space heading into Monday, have been one of the busiest teams in the NFL today. Here's a look at what they've done. 

• DE Malcolm Koonce: 1-year, $11M
• WR Jalen Nailor: 3-years, $35M
• CB Eric Stokes: 3-years, $30M
• LB Nakobe Dean: 3-years, $36M
• LB Quay Walker: 3-years, $40.5M
• DE Kwity Paye: 3-years, $48M
• C Tyler Linderbaum: 3-years, $81M
• Acquired CB Taron Johnson in trade with Bills

On paper, the Raiders roster is already much better than the one they put on the field last year, and it should only get better, because the Raiders have two of the first 15 picks in this year's draft. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 5:55 pm ET · John Breech]

Here are a few players that have decided over the past hour to stay put after testing the waters of free agency: 

LB Alex Singleton re-signing with Broncos (two years, $15.5 million)

OT Trevor Penning re-signing with Chargers (one-year, $4.5 million)

TE Greg Dulcich re-signing with Dolphins (one-year, $3.25 million)

In news that doesn't involve a player re-signing, the Saints have agreed to terms on a two-year deal with Noah Fant. The Saints have has a pretty impressive day so far, signing RB Travis Etienne, OG David Edwards and punter Ryan Wright. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 5:38 pm ET · John Breech]

Any team in need of an offensive tackle might want to give Taylor Decker a call, because he's now available. The veteran tackle was released by the Lions today in a move that's not a huge shock. 

Decker actually wanted to return to Detroit, but the two sides couldn't work out a new deal. 

"In the weeks since notifying the team of my return there have been numerous discussions. Many of which were a surprise to me, and we could not find a common ground. Therefore I decided to request my release," Decker wrote on social media over the weekend. 

Decker has started 140 games in his 10-year career, which have all come with the Lions. He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2024. 

At 32, he might have taken a small step back, but he plays a premium position, so there's a good chance he'll have plenty of suitors in free agency. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 5:25 pm ET · John Breech]

We mentioned this morning that Travis Kelce was leaning toward returning in 2026, and now, it's official. The future Hall of Famer has agreed to terms on a new one-year, $12 million contract with the Chiefs that could pay him up to $15 million.

Kelce's reaction?

The fact that Kelce is coming back for another year isn't a huge surprise. Sure, he'll be a little busy over the next few months while he helps plan his wedding with Taylor Swift, but from a football standpoint, this decision makes sense.  

Kelce actually had a strong 2025 season that saw him catch 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns. He still has a great connection with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs don't really have anyone on the roster who can take his place, so both sides should be thrilled with this decision. 

At 36 years old, this will almost certainly be Kelce's last season, so it means he'll have one more chance to run it back and try to win one more Super Bowl with Kansas City. 

This has been a huge day for the Chiefs' offense. Not only are they getting Kelce back, but Kansas City will also be signing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 5:21 pm ET · John Breech]

There have been dozens of free agent deals that have been agreed to since the tampering period started at noon. Here are a few that have happened over the past hour: 

• DT Tim Settle to sign with Commanders (Three years, $24 million)
• CB Dee Alford to sign with Bills (three years, $21 million)
• OT Jermaine Eluemunor re-signs with Giants (three years, $39 million)
• OT Vederian Lowe to sign with 49ers (two years, $12 million)

The biggest signing out of this group is probably Eluemunor. He's a player the Giants couldn't afford to lose and New York made sure to hold on to him. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 5:10 pm ET · John Breech]

Right now, it's not clear who the starting QB will be for the Cardinals this year, but as of today, they now have two quarterbacks on their roster after adding Gardner Minshew. The 29-year-old has agreed to terms on a one-year, $8 million deal in Arizona. 

Minshew will now be joining Jacoby Brissett and Kedon Slovis in Arizona, and right now, those are the three quarterbacks on the roster. That's not a very intimidating QB room and it will be interesting to see if the Cardinals add another quarterback or if they just decide to roll with Brissett as QB1 after watching him start 12 games last season.  

[Mar 9, 2026 at 5:03 pm ET · John Breech]

The four top centers in free agency -- Tyler Linderbaum, Cade Mays, Tyler Biadasz and Connor McGovern -- are no longer available, but a new center is about to hit the market. 

The Packers have just released two-time Pro-Bowler Elgton Jenkins. 

"Elgton established himself as one of the best and most versatile offensive linemen in the league during his time in Green Bay. He contributed so much to our success over the past seven seasons and was a tremendous leader," general manager Brian Gutekunst said in a statement. 

The move will free up $19.5 million in salary cap space for the Packers, which is one big reason why the decided to dump Jenkins. Of course, with the top centers off the market, this could actually end up being a good thing for Jenkins, who will now have a chance to cash in as the top free agent center available. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 4:51 pm ET · John Breech]

The Raiders had the most money heading into free agency and they haven't been shy about spending it. Their latest move came with the addition of Colts' pass-rusher Kwity Paye, who has agreed to terms on a three-year, $48 million deal. 

Earlier in the day, the Raiders made a splurge to sign Tyler Linderbaum with a three-year, $80 million contract. The Raiders also added receiver Jalen Nailor from the Vikings. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 4:45 pm ET · John Breech]

The Tua Tagovailoa sweepstakes is already over. Less than nine hours after the Dolphins announced that they were going to release Tua, he has already agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Falcons. 

Although Tua hasn't been release yet, the Falcons were allowed to talk with him because Under NFL rules, teams are allowed to contact a player if his team has announced that he's going to be released. So Atlanta was allowed to communicate with Tua's camp since the Dolphins announced this morning that they were going to release the QB. 

WHY IT MAKES SENSE

This is the perfect landing spot for Tua and I explained why earlier today. Here's what I wrote this morning: 

"The Falcons currently have Michael Penix Jr., but he comes with some serious question marks. For one, he just tore his ACL for the third time in his football career. Then there's the fact that even when he's healthy, he hasn't proven he can play consistently good football. Although the Falcons expect him to be ready for Week 1, he's playing for a new coach and a new front office that didn't draft him, so it wouldn't be surprising at all if they brought in some competition for him. Bringing in a left-handed QB to compete with a left-handed QB would be a plus for the Falcons because it means that Atlanta wouldn't have to make any huge changes from an offensive standpoint."

Tua has shown the ability to thrive with the right weapons and Atlanta has a loaded offense with Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts and Drake London

[Mar 9, 2026 at 4:41 pm ET · John Breech]

We can finally put the entire draft order together. 

The NFL has handed out 33 compensatory picks to a total of 15 teams. Although the exact formula the league uses to award picks hasn't been released, we do know that it basically comes down to this: a team that loses more or better free agents than it acquires in the previous year is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks. 

Using that "formula," the big winners this year were the Ravens, Eagles and Steelers, who all received four extra picks. The 49es were awarded three picks, but no other team got more than two. The highest awarded pick went to the Vikings, who were given the 97th overall selection in the draft after losing Sam Darnold in free agency last year. 

Here's a full breakdown of the pick: 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 4:34 pm ET · John Breech]

With Trey Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai both leaving town, Cincinnati needed to add a pass-rusher and the usually frugal Bengals opened their wallet to make that happen. 

The Bengals have signed Boye Mafe to a three-year, $60 million deal. Mafe was a second-round pick in 2022 and he spent his entire four-year career in Seattle before hitting the open market this year. Mafe recorded 2.5 sacks during the regular season as a rotational pass-rusher for Seattle. 

The Bengals have shown a willingness to open their pocket book today, which is a mild surprise. Besides signing Mafe, they also agreed to terms for Chiefs' safety Bryan Cook on a three-year deal. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 4:21 pm ET · John Breech]

Odafe Oweh was one of the top available free agent pass-rushers, but he's no longer available after scoring a monster contract from the Commanders. Oweh has agreed to terms on a four-year, $100 million deal that includes $68 million in guaranteed money. 

With the Commanders set to possibly lose two of their top sack leaders from 2025 -- Von Miller and Bobby Wagner -- this was a team that needed some pass-rushing help and Oweh should definitely help. Not only did Oweh rack up 7.5 sacks in just 12 games with the Chargers last season, but he also had three sacks in the team's playoff loss to the Patriots, so he totaled 10.5 sacks in just 13 games. 

If Oweh can do that kind of damage for the Commanders, then this signing could be a home run for Washington. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 4:16 pm ET · John Breech]

The Jaguars might be open to trading Brian Thomas Jr. 

According to SNYtv, the Jags are entertaining offers for the receiver. 

The Jags have Jakobi Meyers and Travis Hunter and Thomas is coming off a down season where he caught just 48 passes for 707 yards. If he's available for trade, it will certainly be fascinating to see how many teams might be interested in adding him. 

Thomas was the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and went off for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns in his rookie year before regressing in 2025. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 4:09 pm ET · John Breech]

The Jets have been one of the busiest teams on the first day of the legal tampering period. 

Here's a look at what they've done today: 

• Traded for S Minkah Fitzpatrick 
• Signed DL Joseph Ossai (three years, $36 million) 
• Signed DL Kingsley Enagbare (one-year, $10 million) 
• Signed LB Demario Davis (two years, $22 million) 
• Signed DL David Onyemata (one-year, $10.5 million)

The Jets had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last year and they're obviously looking to fix that problem with addition of five new defensive players. The Jets have totally revamped their defense and it could end up paying dividends. Now, they just need to do the same thing with their offense. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 4:00 pm ET · John Breech]

Mariota has spent two seasons in Washington and he'll be returning for a third. The Commanders' backup QB has agreed to terms on a one year, $7 million deal that could be worth up to $11 million. 

Mariota didn't get on the field much during his first year in Washington back in 2024, but with Jayden Daniels banged up last. year, Mariota ended up making a total of eight starts. In one of his most impressive games, Mariota threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-26 overtime loss to the Broncos. 

The former second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft is going into his 12th NFL season. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 3:50 pm ET · John Breech]

There have been dozens of free agent deals that have been agreed to since the tampering period started at noon. Here's a few that have happened over the past hour: 

• TE Charlie Kolar to the Chargers (Three years, $24.3 million)
• S Bryan Cook to the Bengals (Three years, $40.25 million)
• CB Josh Jobe re-signs with Seahawks (Three years, $24 million)
• LB Tremaine Edmunds to the Giants (Three years, $36 million)
• DE Arden Key to the Colts (Two years, $20 million)
• DE Cameron Thomas to the Falcons (One-year, $3.1 million)

The signing of Cook was the first one that the Bengals made today and it came at one of the biggest positions of need. The Giants adding Edmunds is definitely an interesting move. Edmunds was Chicago's leading tackler last season, but they decided to let him go anyway. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 3:39 pm ET · John Breech]

J.K. Dobbins will be returning to Denver after agreeing to terms on a two-year deal. 

Dobbins signed a one-year deal with the Broncos last year and played in 10 games before suffering a season-ending foot injury. The Broncos were definitely a better team when he was on the field. He averaged 77.2 yards per game, which ranked sixth in the NFL. At the time of his injury, Dobbins had rushed for 772 yards on the season, which ranked fourth in the NFL. 

He was clearly a good fit for Sean Payton's offense, which would explain why Denver was willing to give him a two-year commitment. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 3:22 pm ET · John Breech]

New Titans coach Robert Saleh is getting the band back together. The Titans are going to sign Broncos DE John Franklin-Myers to a three-year, $63 million deal, according to ESPN. JFM was ranked as the eighth-best free agent available in Prisco's top 100. 

Franklin-Myers will be reuniting with Saleh. The two spent three seasons together in New York when Saleh was the head coach of the Jets. This is now the second former Jets player that Saleh has brought to Tennessee, joining Jermaine Johnson, who the Titans acquired in a trade last week. 

Saleh likes to play a physical brand of football on defense and Franklin-Myers should certainly help with that. JFM was dominant force on the Broncos' defensive line, recording at least seven sacks in each of the past two seasons. In Tennessee, he'll be joining an impressive that already includes Johnson and Jeffrey Simmons. 

Not only did the Titans land one of the top pass-rushers, but they also brought in come cornerback help by signing Cor'Dale Flott. Earlier today, it looked like the Giants might have a chance to re-sign him, but instead, Flott is now headed to Tennessee after agreeing to terms on a three-year, $45 million deal, according to NFL Media. 

The secondary will also be getting a boost by the addition of former Saints corner, Alontae Taylor, who is getting a three-year, $60 million deal, NFL Media has reported. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 3:21 pm ET · Shanna McCarriston]

John Franklin-Myers is signing a three-year, $63 million deal with the Titans, with $42 million guaranteed, according to the NFL Network. 

The 29-year-old comes from the Broncos, where he played for two seasons. He began his career with the Rams as a fourth round pick in 2018, before joining the Jets from 2019 to 2023.

Franklin-Myers played 16 games last season, starting 15. He hasn't played less than 15 games in his career, other than 2019 when he was on injured reserve. In his seven year career, he has played in 114 games, with 83 starts, 200 combined tackles, including 92 solo, with 34.0 sacks, 15 quarterback hits, one interception and three fumble recoveries.

[Mar 9, 2026 at 3:06 pm ET · John Breech]

It doesn't seem possible, but EVERY Browns' starting offensive linemen from 2025 is about to hit free agency, so they obviously needed to make a move on the line and they did that today by adding Zion Johnson. The Chargers offensive lineman has agreed to terms on a three-year, $49.5 million deal. 

He'll instantly slot in as a starting guard in Cleveland. The former first-round pick has started 65 games in his four-year career.  The Browns also have Tytus Howard at tackle after making a trade for him last week. Now, they just have to fill in the rest of the holes on the line. 

There's a good chance that all six offensive linemen who took the most snaps in Cleveland this year -- Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, Ethan Pocic, Jack Conklin, Teven Jenkins and Cam Robinson -- won't be returning. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 2:52 pm ET · Shanna McCarriston]

Jamel Dean is headed to the AFC. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback has agreed to a three-year, $36.75 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to the NFL Network.

Dean was a third round pick in 2019 and has spent his entire career thus far with the Niners. 

Last season, he started all 14 games he played, finishing with 46 total tackles, including 38 solo, with one tackle for a loss and 1.0 sack. He also had a career high three interceptions with one returned for a touchdown and nine passes defended. He also added two forced fumbles in 2025, bringing his career total to three. 

The Super Bowl champion will bring veteran experience, helping to boost a group that also includes Joey Porter Jr., Brandin Echols and Asante Samuel Jr. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 2:52 pm ET · John Breech]

The Dolphins handed Willis a three-year deal and based on the way the contract is set up, it seems like they're basically handing him the starting job for 2026. 

Let's take a look at the deal. 

If the Dolphins decided to move on after one season, he'd leave Miami with $45.25 million for one year of work. If the Dolphins keep him for two seasons, he'd make that same $45.25 million. 

He has no money guarnateed in Year 3, so the Dolphins could easily move on after two season. If he struggles this year, it will be intereting to see what they do after that. However, if he plays well, the team might have found their QB of the future. 

[Mar 9, 2026 at 2:43 pm ET · John Breech]

Not only did the Buccaneers lose Mike Evans, but one of their top corners will also be leaving in free agency after Jamel Dean made the decision to sign with the Steelers. 

Dean, who was one of the top corners on the market, is getting a three-year, $36.75 million deal, according to NFL Media. The Steelers have been busy today fortifying their secondary. They started the day off by re-signing Asante Samuel Jr., and now, they've added Dean. That duo will join Joey Porter Jr. in a Steelers' secondary that suddenly feels like one of the team's strengths.