The legal tampering period is always one of the most fun times of the NFL season, as this is when the most action happens. A ton of players end up changing teams, and many of them score their first big-time contract. It truly is a free agency frenzy.
The one risk that teams run here is obviously the possibility of overpaying for a player. Sometimes, teams that have not been able to draft and develop at a certain position will take to the free agency market in an aggressive way.
And we have outlined some aggressive contract predictions here. Let's predict the contracts for the top free agents this offseason.
Predicting contracts for the top free agents in 2026 Free Agency
Tyler Linderbaum, C - four years, $84 million
Tyler Linderbaum is going to reset the center market, and he's surely going to come in at over $20 million per season. He would become the first center in the history of the NFL to hit that figure, so you get the sense that any sort of free agency deal would be in the $80-$90 million range if it's a 'regular' four-year deal, which is what many free agent contracts are. Linderbaum is a three-time Pro Bowler.
Rasheed Walker, LT - four years, $84 million
Perhaps getting a bit more than Dan Moore got last year with the Tennessee Titans, Rasheed Walker could cross that $20 million per year mark, as he is, if nothing else, an average player at a hugely important position, so he is going to cash-in from a team who is needing a stable left tackle.
Alec Pierce, WR - four years, $100 million
Alec Pierce is one of the most interesting free agents on the market, as he has led the NFL in yards per reception in each of the last two seasons, but he does not really profile as a WR1 in this league. Pierce is a perfect no. 2 option, but he's going to get paid WR1 money. A deal worth well over $20 million per year is going to come in for Pierce, as the free agency class at the receiver position is just not all that good, so the prices will be driven up.
Travis Etienne, RB - three years, $36 million
Travis Etienne has over 5,000 yards from scrimmage over the past four seasons and is going to eclipse $10 million per year, as he's a consistently productive player at a position that has seen a bit of a resurgence in recent years. Etienne is going to sniff $20 million in guaranteed money if I had to guess.
Devin Lloyd, LB - three years, $61.5 million
Coming off an All-Pro season, Devin Lloyd is going to become one of the highest-paid linebackers in the NFL. He might not become the highest paid, but he should have an argument to get just over $20 million per season. Lloyd really excelled in coverage this year, which is an amazing quality for a linebacker to have and one that teams covet.
Trey Hendrickson, EDGE - three years, $81 million
Trey Hendrickson is likely not going to come close to the top of the EDGE market, but I guess you never know. Getting $27 million per year would get him into the top-10, as he would pass Nik Bonitto on a per-year basis. Hendrickson missed a bunch of time during the 2025 season, so he probably cost himself a bit of money here.
Malik Willis, QB - two years, $60 million
The quarterback market is never really that prolific. Sure, there are some backup-caliber names, but that's really it. Malik Willis has played very well in backup duty for the Green Bay Packers and has made himself a chunk of change on a short deal, as this is still a largely unproven player.