NFL Analysis
4/1/25
10 min read
2026 NFL Free Agency: Ranking 9 Best Players To Hit Market Next Year
Free agency has just about wrapped up with most of the action occurring within the first 40 hours of the legal tampering period opening. Actually, most of the action occurred the weekend before free agency as several teams locked up their own pending free agents, which really limited the overall class.
Still, that’s what happens in free agency. Most teams don’t let their star players hit the open market, but it happens occasionally (Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry). Which players could be available during the 2026 free-agent period?
Here is a list of the top nine players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents at this time next year.
Top 2026 NFL Free Agents
9. Kerby Joseph, SS, Detroit Lions
What a season for Kerby Joseph. The former third-round pick from Illinois was named a first-team All-Pro selection after leading the NFL in interceptions (9).
Joseph has always been a ballhawk and has recorded at least four interceptions in each of his first three seasons in the NFL. It’s really hard to find players who are that consistent at taking away the ball, especially at safety.
It’s only a matter of time before Joseph is the highest-paid safety in the NFL. He’s just 24 years old, and he’s been incredibly productive and durable. But with
8. Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals
Trey McBride has improved each season in the NFL and was the leading receiver for the Cardinals during the 2024 season. A strong fit with Kyler Murray, McBride is one of the most dynamic tight ends in the league after the catch. And with his improved route running, he’s become the go-to target for Murray in big situations.
But the tight end market needs a big reset. The highest-paid tight end in the NFL is Travis Kelce, at $17.1 million per season. To put that in perspective, Jerry Jeudy is making $17.5 million a season, and he is just the 23rd highest-paid receiver in the NFL. Could McBride be the one to take the top off of the tight end market? He’s got a strong case after a 1,100-yard season and a Pro Bowl honor.
It’s time for the tight ends to start getting paid what they deserve. Expect McBride to be the one to push the market more than $20 million a year either this offseason or next.
7. Trey Hendrickson, EDGE, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals entered the offseason with the goal and hope of signing Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Trey Hendrickson to long-term deals.
They locked up Chase and Higgins for the foreseeable future, and it sure seems like they are getting close with Hendrickson. But if they fail to come to a deal and Hendrickson is forced to play out the final year of his contract, he will have plenty of suitors come next offseason.
Since becoming a full-time starter during the 2020 season, Hendrickson has been one of the league’s top pass rushers. During the last five years, he’s recorded 70.5 sacks and 65 tackles for a loss. His 137 tackles for a loss are the third-most in the NFL, only behind T.J. Watt and Nick Bosa during that span.
Hendrickson will turn 31 at the end of the 2025 season, and his age is surely why there have been some hangups with his current contract situation. But if he were able to post his third consecutive 17+ sack season, you can bet there would be teams lining up in free agency to give him $40 million a year.
6. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
Terry McLaurin is like a fine wine. He keeps getting better with age. And now that he finally has a franchise quarterback throwing him the ball, there is no reason to expect him to slow down anytime soon. McLaurin posted his fifth-straight 1,000-yard season, and he has done so with a new quarterback each year.
He’s headed into his age 30 season, so there might be some out who would be worried about giving him big money next offseason. However, his game is aging well, and we’ve seen how much the market has exploded in recent years. Even older receivers like Davante Adams and Stefon Diggs continue to get massive paydays, so there is no reason to think McLaurin won’t cash in again.
McLaurin has not missed a start in the last four seasons, and his durability will help him earn some more coin on the open market. The safe bet is to assume Washington gets a deal done with its star receiver months before he is eligible for free agency.
5. T.J. Watt, EDGE, Pittsburgh Steelers
There might be a situation brewing in Pittsburgh right now regarding T.J. Watt. The former Defensive Player of the Year is entering the final year of his contract, and the recent deals given to Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett might be too much for Pittsburgh to afford.
Watt has been one of the league's most productive sack artists since entering the league in 2017. He has a special knack for getting to the quarterback and creating splash plays. While he isn't as consistent play-to-play as Garrett or Micah Parsons, there is safety in knowing that he's always just a play away from wrecking a game.
The Steelers have plenty of cap space, but are they willing to invest over $40 million a year in Watt, especially after fading down the stretch (zero sacks in the last four games, including playoffs)?
Watt will turn 31 this season, and Pittsburgh might not feel comfortable giving him that much extra money going into his age-32 season and beyond. If that’s the case, expect there to be a big-time market for a player who has led the NFL in sacks in three separate seasons.
4. Daron Bland, CB, Dallas Cowboys
Derek Stingley reset the cornerback market this offseason, and that is fantastic news for DaRon Bland. In his second season in the NFL, Bland recorded the most pick-sixes in NFL history for a single season (5) and has 14 career interceptions in 30 starts.
Bland missed a good chunk of the 2024 season with a foot injury but returned to the field and played well down the stretch.
He’ll turn 26 this offseason and is one of the top ball-hawks in the league. With another solid season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him earn $25 million per year or more on the open market. Dallas would be wise to get a deal done now before the price goes up.
3. Rashawn Slater, LT, Los Angeles Chargers
After Bland, Rashawn Slater might be the most likely player on this list to hit the open market. The Chargers drafted Joe Alt at No. 5 last year, and it seems unlikely they will pay big money to two offensive tackles. But that doesn’t mean Slater isn’t worthy of a monster contract extension.
Slater was a second-team All-Pro selection as a rookie but missed most of the 2022 season with an injury. He’s played 32 games in the last two seasons and has put those injury concerns behind him.
While Slater isn’t the most physically dominating left tackle, he’s got incredible athleticism and movement skills. He just turned 26 and is only starting to enter his physical prime. We saw some pretty average offensive tackles make big-time money this offseason, and we can only imagine the type of deal Slater would get in free agency.
But with the Chargers' ability to franchise tag Slater multiple times, we shouldn’t expect him to make it to the open market, either.
2. Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Franchise quarterbacks don’t hit the market. Especially not those who are under the age of 30. Still, Brock Purdy (25) is set to play in the final year of his contract. Of course, the 49ers would place the franchise tag on him multiple times before actually letting him hit the open market, but he is one of the top players who is scheduled to become available next offseason.
The only real question here is whether the 49ers let Purdy play the 2025 season on the last year of his deal, or do they get something worked out ahead of Week 1? We saw Dak Prescott sign his new contract the morning of Week 1 in 2024, so it wouldn’t be entirely shocking if this dragged out all summer long.
But the longer things drag out, the higher the chance that something could happen with Purdy via trade. However, don’t expect that to be the case, as the 49ers are likely to pay Purdy around $55 million per year at some point this offseason. It’s really only a matter of time.
1. Micah Parsons, EDGE, Dallas Cowboys
There is only one player who could earn the No. 1 spot on this list, and it’s none other than Micah Parsons. The superstar pass rusher for the Dallas Cowboys has been one of the league’s top players from the moment he stepped onto the field as a rookie.
In his four seasons in the NFL, he’s recorded 52.5 sacks and has already made four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. He is one of the league’s most efficient and effective pass rushers in any metric that you dig up. Plus, he has incredible versatility, being used across the front seven in Dan Quinn and Mike Zimmer’s defenses.
The Cowboys are taking their good old time signing Parsons to an extension, but it’ll get done, just like every other deal in Dallas. Every team in the NFL would love to add Parsons to their roster, and that’s why the Cowboys have no choice but to give him everything he’s asking for in contract negotiations.
But just imagine for a second what his free agency outlook would be like if he ever hit the open market. The offers he would get in free agency would be a sight to see. Parsons would be the best defensive free agent to hit the open market in their prime since Deion Sanders. It would be fun, but I don’t expect it to happen.
