NFL free agency 2026 live updates: Signings, rumors and trades tracker

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Tua Tagovailoa landing spots: Breaking down some possibilities

If you missed it this morning, the Dolphins have announced that they're going to cut Tua when the new league year starts on Wednesday.

With Tua now leaving Miami, he could become an attractive option on the free agent market. So where could he end up? Let's take a look at some possible landing spots.

VIKINGS. Say what you will about Tua, but he's definitely a much more polished quarterback than McCarthy. Although he's had some trouble staying healthy, Tua has been productive when he's on the field and he's been especially good when he's had the right weapons around him and the Vikings have a lot of offensive weapons to work with in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. Tua might have to compete with McCarthy for the job, but that's likely a competition where he would be feeling pretty confident.

COLTS. With Daniel Jones coming off a torn Achilles, this could be a situation where it would make sense for Tua to sign a one-year deal with the understanding that he'll be the starting QB until Jones is ready to play. One thing working in Tua's favor is that the Colts have a set up where he could thrive: They have a solid offensive line, they have one of the best running backs in the NFL (Jonathan Taylor), they have a solid receiving group led by Michael Pittman and they have a solid young tight end in Tyler Warren. Tua could put up some big numbers in Indy.

FALCONS. 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.

Here's a full look at some more landing spots.

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Daniel Jones' crazy asking price

The Colts and Daniel Jones haven't been able to get a long-term deal done, which is why the Indy decided to use the transition tag on him. One reason the two sides haven't been able to reach a deal is because Jones apparently wants a contract that will pay him $50 million per year, according to Sports Illustrated.

If the Colts gave him that, that would make Jones one of 12 quarterbacks to make at least $50 million per year and it would put him ahead of guys like Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford on the pay scale.

If I'm Indy, there's simply no way I'm forking over that kind of money. Jones played well last year, but he's coming off a torn Achilles, which is a brutal injury to try and come back from. The transition tag will pay Jones $37.8 million in 2026 if the two sides don't reach a long-term deal. Jones will be allowed to negotiation with other teams starting on Wednesday, but the Colts will have the chance to match any offer that he's given.

With Jones coming off the devastating injury, it's hard to imagine ANY team giving him the $50 million per year he's apparently looking for.

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Texans bringing back key defensive starter

Rankins signed a one-year deal with the Texans in 2025 and after watching him start all 17 games, Houston has rewarded him with a new contract. According to NFL Media, Rankins is getting a two-year deal that includes $12 million in guaranteed money.

The 31-year-old defensive tackle is a big guy who can clog up the middle and his presence definitely makes life easier for Texans' defensive stars like Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter.

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Maybe Jerry Jones ISN'T crazy

The Cowboys have now made two trades with the Packers over the past six months and when you look at the two deals put together, it's actually pretty interesting.

Would you rather be the Cowboys or the Packers here? Yes, Parsons is a superstar, but the Packers are paying him $47 million per year. Not only did the Cowboys save money, but they picked up two first-round picks and two solid defenders. It will be interesting to see who won these two trades when we look back at them five years from now.

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Alec Pierce is on the verge of getting funny money

Multiple high-ranking NFL front office officials told CBS Sports in recent days that Pierce -- widely viewed as the top wide receiver in this year's free agency class -- has a realistic chance to land a deal worth around $30 million per year. If that happens, he would join a small group of receivers that includes Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, DK Metcalf, Garrett Wilson, A.J. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

The Colts have remained in contact with Pierce's camp and have continued to work to try and get him to remain in Indianapolis (and seem willing to get into the upper 20s per year at the very least to keep him), but they're fully aware that there's going to be competition.

NFL free agency buzz: Alec Pierce's $30 million market, Kenneth Walker's notable suitors

Matt Zenitz

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Five teams to watch in free agency due to their salary cap space

If you're wondering which teams will be the busiest today, just follow the money. Here are the five teams with the most salary cap space heading into the start of the free agency tampering period

Most cap space (numbers via over the cap)

1. Raiders: $111.91 million

2. Titans: $92.69 million

3. Commanders: $87.61 million

4. Chargers: $75.28 million

5. Jets: $73.89 million

No other team in the NFL has more than $60 million in cap space, so these five teams have set themselves apart. You could argue that the Chargers are in the best shape. They're the only team on this list that made the playoffs last year and if they can find some pieces to put around Justin Herbert, they could become a Super Bowl contender.

The Raiders, Titans and Jets all have a lot of holes on their roster, so they'll likely be spending big. As for the Commanders, look for them to use most of their money on the defensive side of the ball, along with possibly adding a receiver.

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Raiders have two top-15 picks following the Maxx Crosby trade

As part of the Maxx Crosby trade, the Raiders acquired Baltimore's 14th overall pick in 2026 NFL Draft, so Las Vegas now has TWO picks in the top 15.

Here are two quick nuggets on that:

This marks just the second time since the AFL-NFL Merger in 1970 that the Raiders have gone into a draft with two top-15 picks. The only other time it happened came in 1988 when they landed WR Tim Brown (6th overall) and DB Terry McDaniel (9th overall).

This will mark the fifth time in six years that at least one team has had two top-15 picks. The last time it happened came in 2024 when landed Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze. It also happened in 2023 with the Texans taking CJ Stroud and Will Anderson.

Both of those teams made the playoffs one year after their draft haul, so the Raiders will certainly have a chance to remake their franchise thanks to the Crosby trade.

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Bengals might need a new backup QB

After three seasons in Cincinnati, it looks like the Bengals are content to let Jake Browning move on. Browning is a restricted free agent and the Bengals could have tendered him, but they decided not to, according to ESPN, which will make him an unrestricted free agent.

Browning started seven games for the Bengals in 2023 and was solid, but he couldn't make lightning strike twice. He got to start three games in 2025 and was such a disaster that the Bengals ended up making a trade for Joe Flacco. However, Flacco is also set to be a free agent and with Browning also scheduled to hit the open market, the Bengals will need to find a new backup for Burrow (And that backup might end up being Flacco. If he can't find a potential starting job, he's made it clear he'd be interested in returning to Cincinnati as Burrow's backup).

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TRADES: Why there have been so many deals over the past week

One big reason why we see so many trades in the lead up to free agency is because in most situations, the deals involve a player who was probably going to be cut. For instance, the Packers likely weren't going to hold on to Rashan Gary, so it makes sense for them to call around and see if anyone is interested in making a deal. If they're able to make a trade, they end up getting back some compensation for a player they were going to cut anyway.

In other instances, teams are trying to fill a huge need before the start of free agency so they can scratch that need off their list. Let's use the Ravens as an example. They needed some pass-rushing help and now that they have Maxx Crosby, that's not something they have to worry about in free agency or the draft, so they can focus on other needs.

We've already seen almost a dozen trades since Friday and there will likely be more.

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Giants trying to keep Cor'Dale Flott

The Giants are doing their best to try and keep Flott from hitting free agency. According to SNYtv, there's a growing optimism that the two sides could get a deal done soon. If a deal isn't done by noon, then Flott will be free to talk with other teams.

Flott, who started 14 games for the G-men last year, was a pleasant surprising in New York's secondary. The 2022 third-round pick has started a total of 37 games in four seasons with the Giants.

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TRADE: Cowboys finalizing a deal for Green Bay's Rashan Gary

Rashan Gary posted a good bye letter to Green Bay on social media last week and although he later said he was hacked, he might want to just go ahead and re-publish the letter, because it looks like he's leaving Green Bay.

The Packers are finalizing a deal with the Cowboys that would send Gary to Dallas.

Here are the terms of the deal (via ESPN):

Cowboys get: Rashan Gary

Packers get: 2027 fourth-round pick (via NFL Media)

The move means that Gary will be reunited with his old teammate, Kenny Clark, who was traded from Green Bay to Dallas as part of the Micah Parsons deal. The Cowboys had to do whatever they could to add some pass-rushing help this offseason, and the addition of Gary, who finished with 7.5 sacks in 2025, is certainly a plus.

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TRADED: Dolphins sending Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Jets

The Dolphins started the day by announcing that Tua Tagovailoa will be released this week and they've just another big move by trading Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Jets. It's not often you see a team trade a five-time Pro Bowler to a division rival, but that's exactly what is happening here.

Here are the terms of the deal (via ESPN):

Jets get: Minkah Fitzpatrick

Dolphins get: 2026 seventh-round pick

As part of the deal, Fitzpatrick will be getting a three-year, $40 million deal from the Jets. For the Dolphins, the move will create $5.85 million in salary cap space.

This is the second time in less than a week that the Jets have added a defensive player in a trade (along with T'Vondre Sweat), so Aaron Glenn is getting serious about revamping his defense in New York.

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Travis Kelce set to become a free agent: What's going to happen?

When the legal tampering period starts at noon today, Kelce will be allowed to negotiate with other teams, but is that actually going to happen?

According to the Athletic, Kelce is "motivated to return" this year, but there's no guarantee that he'll end up signing with the Chiefs. On the other hand, the Associated Press has reported that if Kelce plays this year, it will be with the Chiefs or no one. Kelce still hasn't announced what he's going to do, but based on his comments this offseason, it does seem like he's leaning toward playing and it's hard to imagine him playing anywhere outside of Kansas City.

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Cowboys restructure Terence Steele's contract

Steele will return to Dallas after some rumors that he might be released as a cap casualty, per multiple reports. He was set to make $48.5 million over the next three seasons on the five-year, $82.5 million extension he signed a few years ago, but he will instead make just $33 million over that span. However, $22 million is guaranteed on the new deal where none of the money was guaranteed before this.

The new contract creates around $13 million in additional cap space for the Cowboys, who have said they will be more aggressive spending money this offseason than they have been in the past. We'll see if that actually happens.

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Asante Samuel Jr. staying with the Steelers

The Steelers are bringing back Asante Samuel Jr., who ended up starting three games for them in 2205 after being a late-season addition. Samuel is getting a one-year, $4 million deal, according to ESPN.

The 26-year-old didn't sign with the Steelers until November. He underwent spinal fusion surgery last April and that essentially kept him sideline for the first two months of the season. However, he has started 50 games in his five-year career, so he could end up being a difference-maker for the Steelers in 2026.

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Texans keep G Ed Ingram around

Houston re-signs Ingram with a three-year, $37.5 million contract, according to NFL Media. The Texans have already begun to turn over their offensive line this offseason by trading both Tytus Howard and Juice Scruggs, but Ingram will be sticking for the long term after arriving via trade from the Vikings last offseason in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

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Trent McDuffie lands record-setting deal from Rams

This happened last night, but it's certainly very notable, so let's take a look.

After trading a first-round pick to acquire Trent McDuffie, the Rams are making sure that he won't be leaving L.A. any time soon. The team has signed him to a four-year, $121 million contract extension, which makes McDuffie the highest paid corner in NFL history with a deal that will pay him an average of $31 million per year. We have the full details on the deal here.

The Rams sent a first-round pick (29th overall) to Kansas City last week to acquire McDuffie in a blockbuster deal.

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Vikings retain LB Eric Wilson

Wilson is coming off arguably the best season of his career at age-31. He started 16 of 17 games, playing 90% of the defensive snaps for the Vikes, and he racked up 115 tackles (17 for loss), 6.5 tackles for loss and 10 additional quarterback hits. He also had 52 run stops, a career high, according to Pro Football Focus. He gets a three-year, $22.5 million contract with $12.5 million guaranteed, per NFL Media.

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Jaguars hold on to starting cornerback

Montaric Brown will be staying in Jacksonville. The cornerback, who has started a total of 23 games for Jacksonville over the past two seasons, has agreed to a three-year, $33 million deal with the Jags, according to ESPN.

Brown was a seventh-round pick for the Jags in 2022 and he has certainly paid off for them in his four seasons with the team. The 26-year-old was the 100th ranked player in Prisco's top 100, so that's one down and 99 to go.

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Dolphins to cut Tua Tagovailoa

The Dolphins are officially moving on from Tua, who is going to be released when the new league year starts on Wednesday. This is not going to be a cheap move for Miami.

Tua has $54 million in guaranteed money owed to him for the 2026 season. By cutting Tua, the Dolphins are now going to be stuck with an NFL-record $99.2 million dead cap charge this year. However, they could knock that number down to $67.4 million if they designate him as a post-June 1 cut, and it looks like that's what they're going to do. By going that route, the Dolphins will be able to split the $99.2 million hit over two seasons, so they'd take a $67.4 million hit in 2026 and $31.8 million dead cap hit in 2027.

If you're wondering where Tua could end up, we've got some landing spots here.

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