Free agency has essentially come and gone, with the main crux of the agreements and subsequent signings taking place in the span of roughly 100 hours.
Now, we wait for the 2025 NFL draft, with more than 250 players set to join the league. But while we wait, it’s worth taking a minute to look at the ’26 free agency class to help understand what general managers could be thinking in terms of roster building.
Looking at the pending free agents, there are a slew of high-profile players set to hit the market. Of course, many won’t get there, either because of a long-term deal, a short-term extension or even the franchise tag.
But unlike this year’s free-agent crop, the 2026 group has the potential to be absolutely loaded.
Below, we’ll take a look at the top 23 names with expiring deals, with the lone caveat that we’ll exclude first-round picks from the 2022 draft who are obviously going to get their fifth-year options picked up this spring. (No need to kid ourselves and put Aidan Hutchinson or Kyle Hamilton on this list.) And finally, we’ll use a sliding scale from 0–10 to show how likely it is that the star will actually reach free agency.
1. Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers
- Chance he leaves: 1
There’s a very good chance Purdy will get extended before the 2025 season starts. However, if he doesn’t, the Niners are almost certain to apply the franchise tag if all else fails. He’s a 25-year-old quarterback who only a year ago finished fourth in MVP voting.
2. Micah Parsons, DE, Dallas Cowboys
- Chance he leaves: 1
Owner Jerry Jones has a bad habit of waiting to extend his own stars, but he almost always does so. Parsons is the Cowboys’ best defensive player, evidenced by his 52.5 sacks over his four-year career. Letting him leave would be a disaster.
3. Rashawn Slater, OT, Los Angeles Chargers
- Chance he leaves: 0
Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman love their trench play. In that regard, the Chargers have a pair of stud tackles in Slater and Joe Alt. It would be stunning to see Slater get his second contract elsewhere, especially considering Los Angeles is flush with cap space, currently sitting at second-most for 2026 behind only the Las Vegas Raiders.
4. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
- Chance he leaves: 0
For the first time in 30 years, the Commanders are finally in the conversation to be the next Super Bowl champs. McLaurin is an invaluable part of their winning equation, catching 82 passes for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Although he turns 30 years old this season, Washington has to keep him for star quarterback Jayden Daniels.
5. Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens
- Chance he leaves: 5
The chances of Henry hitting the open market might be better than some think. While he’s still incredible, rushing for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns in his first year with the Ravens, he’s also turning 32 years old in January. If he’s injured at all, or struggles some, the Ravens might let him walk.
6. Trey Hendrickson, DE, Cincinnati Bengals
- Chance he leaves: 5
The Bengals have proved they will spend money when they deem it necessary, as evidenced by Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. That said, all those stars were getting second contracts. Hendrickson is 30 years old and plays on a horrid defense. Will owner Mike Brown spend again, or let the league’s reigning sack champ leave?
7. Trey Smith, G, Kansas CIty Chiefs
- Chance he leaves: 0
Speaking of the tag, Smith is only on here because Kansas City has yet to sign him long term. However, the Chiefs are committed to keeping Smith around, so much so that they traded All-Pro guard Joe Thuney. With Thuney gone, Smith should get paid before training camp.
8. T.J. Watt, OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Chance he leaves: 2
Watt is starting to slow a bit at 30 years old, and he still managed 11.5 sacks and six forced fumbles last season. While there’s the possibility he struggles in 2025 and the Steelers decide to cut bait, the much better bet is he’ll remain an All-Pro–level player who continues to define Pittsburgh’s defense.
9. Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
- Chance he leaves: 2
Only 24 years old, Williams has racked up a pair of 1,100-yard seasons for the Rams. And in Sean McVay's offense, he’s always going to be valued considering McVay’s emphasis on a balanced attack. While Los Angeles has some expensive pieces on the roster, the cap sheet is clean enough to easily pay Williams, as the Rams rank 10th in 2026 cap space.
10. James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
- Chance he leaves: 2
Here’s another running back who should stick around. The Bills have spent this offseason, locking up one star after the next, ranging from Christian Benford and Terrel Bernard to Khalil Shakir and Greg Rousseau. Expect Cook to be next, as general manager Brandon Beane sticks to his plan of retaining homegrown talent.
11. George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Chance he leaves: 6
Pickens is a fascinating case. On one hand, he’s ultra talented, just turned 24 years old and averages more than 900 receiving yards per season through three years. On the other, the Steelers just gave DK Metcalf $120 million and Pickens is mercurial from an emotional standpoint. It’s not hard to see Pittsburgh moving off him if things don’t go well in 2025.
12. DaRon Bland, CB, Dallas Cowboys
- Chance he leaves: 6
The Cowboys have to pay Micah Parsons, and they’re already giving big money to Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. Then there’s Trevon Diggs, a corner already paid like a top-tier talent. There’s a chance Dallas will opt to pay Parsons and left tackle Tyler Smith before allowing Bland to test free agency.
13. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Chance he leaves: 4
It always seems the Buccaneers come really close to losing a core piece, only to retain him at the last second. It’s happened before with Evans, and happened this winter with Chris Godwin, who ended up signing for three years and $66 million. At 32 years old next offseason, would general manager Jason Licht let Evans leave, even if he notches his 12th consecutive 1,000-yard season?
14. Zach Allen, DE, Denver Broncos
- Chance he leaves: 3
Signed away from the Cardinals after his rookie deal expired, Allen has been a stud for the Broncos. Over his two seasons in Denver, Allen has racked up 64 quarterback hits and 13.5 sacks, providing an excellent complement to edge rusher Nik Bonitto. Considering the Broncos aren’t bogged down with an expensive quarterback and a slew of other big contracts, Allen is a good bet to get a second deal in Denver.
15. Riq Woolen, CB, Seattle Seahawks
- Chance he leaves: 5
Woolen burst onto the scene in 2022 as a rookie, earning Pro Bowl honors with a league-high six interceptions. While he hasn’t matched most of his career-high numbers from that season, he’s still an above-average player at a premium position. With the Seahawks eventually having to pay Devon Witherspoon, however, there’s a question if they’ll also commit big dollars to Woolen.
16. Kerby Joseph, S, Detroit Lions
- Chance he leaves: 3
The Lions watched Joseph blossom into a first-team All-Pro last year, pacing the NFL with nine interceptions. Detroit has a litany of young starters in the secondary, led by Brian Branch and Joseph, two stars who are going to command big money. Both are deserving, but there’s a question of whether general manager Brad Holmes can pay each, along with the other big contracts already doled out.
17. Cam Jurgens, C, Philadelphia Eagles
- Chance he leaves: 2
After sitting behind a veteran offensive line in 2022 as a rookie, Jurgens has started 27 games over the past two seasons. The heir to Jason Kelce at center, Jurgens was named a Pro Bowler in ’24, helping the Eagles win their second Super Bowl title. While Philadelphia is paying a bevy of big talents, it’s a smart bet general manager Howie Roseman will pay Jurgens considering the importance he places on the lines.
18. Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos
- Chance he leaves: 5
This is a tough one. Sutton is clearly the best weapon Denver has, even after the addition of tight end Evan Engram this winter. That said, Sutton is also going to be 30 years old next offseason, and the Broncos are hoping to develop some young receivers in Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin. If Sutton does return to the Mile High City, it might be on Denver’s financial terms.
19. Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
- Chance he leaves: 4
Pitts was once thought to be a generational talent at tight end coming out of Florida. It hasn’t materialized. Certainly a good player, Pitts hasn’t cracked 1,000 yards since his rookie year in 2021, saddled with inconsistency and bad quarterback play. If he hits free agency, some team will likely throw a ton of money at him in the name of unrealized potential.
20. Kaleb McGary, OT, Atlanta Falcons
- Chance he leaves: 6
McGary has been a mainstay with the Falcons since joining the club as a first-round pick in 2019. Since then, he’s started 92 games and though he’s never been selected to a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, has at times played near that level. At 30 years old, he would command a sizable deal on the market considering the dearth of options at offensive tackle.
21. Joe Thuney, G, Chicago Bears
- Chance he leaves: 4
Normally, you wouldn’t see a 32-year-old guard on the list. But Thuney isn’t normal. In nine years, Thuney has missed two regular season games and in that span has been named to four All-Pro teams. As evidenced by this past season, he can also play tackle in a pinch, giving teams the ultimate security blanket. Despite his age, Thuney has shown no signs of slowing, and might be the best in football at his position.
22. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
- Chance he leaves: 6
Kittle has been synonymous with the great 49ers teams of recent years, but he could be part of a mass exodus. San Francisco started the process of getting younger and cheaper this year, and at 32 years old when free agency begins in 2026, both parties could be better off with Kittle finishing things up elsewhere.
23. Matt Milano, LB, Buffalo Bills
- Chance he leaves: 8
Milano was once a great player, and still is when healthy. Unfortunately, Milano has played just nine games combined over the past two seasons. After paying so many young stars, Buffalo could opt to let the soon-to-be-31-year-old Milano walk while allowing the combination of Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams take the bulk of Buffalo’s snaps at the second level moving forward.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Free Agency 2026: Early Look at Top 23 Players.
