The NFL Free Agency period usually sports some high-end names looking for new teams, and free agency is a time where teams can put the finishing touches on what could be a Super Bowl roster. The New England Patriots are a great example of this, as they are playing in the Super Bowl this year and did do a ton of work last year on the open market.
Well, on the flip side of this, free agency is also a time where teams can make some disastrous decisions and overpay for a player not worthy of top-dollar. It's not always an easy thing for front offices when free agency opens, as nothing is a guarantee either way.
Next month, the NFL Free Agency period will officially begin, and hundreds of players will sign with new teams and potentially get a generational payday that they were looking for. Ahead of free agency, let's predict where we think some of the top free agents will land in 2026.
Predicting where the top NFL free agents will sign when the 2026 offseason begins
George Pickens - Dallas Cowboys
George Pickens was outstanding for the Dallas Cowboys in the 2025 NFL Season. He had a career-high 93 receptions for 1,429 yards. Pickens is one of the most dangerous receivers in the NFL, as he's an excellent deep ball tracker and is quick enough to be a threat on shorter routes near the line of scrimmage.
When you consider that Dallas traded for Pickens and saw the offense take a giant leap forward with Pickens in the picture, it's hard to envision that he does not return in some capacity in 2026, whether it's on a long-term deal or a franchise tag.
Sure, the Cowboys' front office with Jerry Jones is a bit dysfunctional, but they have not hesitated to pay top-dollar for players.
Daniel Jones - Indianapolis Colts
This one feels obvious, right? Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts actually began the 2025 NFL Season 7-1, and it felt like the Colts were not only going to run away with the AFC South title, but it also felt like they were going to compete for and earn the top AFC playoff seed. However, not only did Jones suffer a torn Achilles, but other players got hurt, and this train just got derailed.
Across his first eight games of the season, when Jones and the Colts began, 7-1, Jones had the following stat line:
71.2% completion
2,062 yards
13 touchdowns
3 interceptions
109.5 passer rating
This would have put Jones on a pace to finish a 17-game season with nearly 4,400 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. Simply put, neither Jones nor the Colts have a better option than to reunite for another season in 2026. I would be shocked if the QB did not return to the team as the starter once again.
Trey Hendrickson - Indianapolis Colts
Trey Hendrickson is another fit for the Indianapolis Colts. Indy needs another pass-rusher, and the Colts' defensive coordinator is Lou Anarumo, who overlapped with Hendrickson when the both of them were on the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2021-2024 seasons. Hendrickson made four Pro Bowls during this stretch, and this is when he truly cemented himself as one of the premier pass-rushers in the NFL.
With the Colts trading two first-round picks for cornerback Sauce Gardner at the NFL trade deadline, they have no other choice but to go all-in this offseason and try to run it back with an improved roster and a hopefully healthy Daniel Jones.
Adding Trey Hendrickson on a two-year deal worth around $60 million would make sense for both sides and could create an impact defense for the Colts for 2026 and beyond.
Alec Pierce - Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs just have not been able to throw the ball down the field well in recent years, and much of that is due to the absence of a consistent deep-ball threat. Enter, Alec Pierce. Pierce had just over 1,000 yards for the Colts in 2025 on fewer than 50 receptions. He again led the league in yards per reception and is truly a big play waiting to happen.
The Chiefs make a ton of sense for Pierce, as not only do they need a deep-ball threat, but they simply need more talented players on offense.
Tyler Linderbaum - New York Giants
Drafted by the Baltimore Ravens back in the 2022 NFL Draft, Tyler Linderbaum is a three-time Pro Bowler and a top-3 center in the NFL. However, the Ravens actually declined Linderbaum's 5th-year option, so as of now, he is set to be a free agent.
There hasn't been any indication that Linderbaum and the Ravens are close to a deal, either. It could make a lot of sense for the talented center to follow his former head coach John Harbaugh and head to the New York Giants, a team that has pieces to be great but still need to round-out certain units.
Getting another starter along the interior of the offensive line is a need, and there might not be a better fit than upgrading the center, as Jaxson Dart, their encouraging rookie QB in 2025, could breakout in 2026 with an improve OL and a high-end center to help in protection.
Mike Evans - Buffalo Bills
Mike Evans is on the wrong side of 30 but is still a very talented player and a borderline Hall of Famer. He could fit with the Buffalo Bills for a year or two. Buffalo is another AFC team that needs more pass-catching help, but they don't currently have a ton of cap space to spend and have some notable needs on defense.
Evans isn't going to command anything that pricey, so the financials and skillset Evans would bring would fit for the Bills for at least a season.
Devin Lloyd - Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos must get better at the linebacker position in the offseason, and there is no better player on the market than Devin Lloyd to help them do that. Lloyd just had an All-Pro season and would finally give Denver a consistent, reliable player at the position.
All of Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are free agents at the ILB spot for Denver. A hypothetical pairing of Lloyd and Dre Greenlaw would give the Broncos the best ILB duo in the league for 2026.
Wan'Dale Robinson - San Francisco 49ers
Wan'Dale Robinson had a career year for the New York Giants in 2025. He caught 92 passes for 1,014 yards and 4 touchdowns. Robinson also just turned 25 years old, so he's still very young and is set to cash in this offseason.
The thing with Robinson is that he isn't a no. 1 wide receiver. He's only 5-8 and 185 pounds, and what he brings to the table is a lot of that 'make you miss' skillset near the line of scrimmage. A team like the San Francisco 49ers would make a lot of sense, as much of their offense is simply about getting the ball to the playmakers and letting them to a lot of the work.
Robinson would thrive in a Shanahan system, and the Niners are honestly in desperate need of some more weapons on offense. Not only that, but the team just cannot seem to stay healthy year over year, either.
Joey Bosa - San Francisco 49ers
Joey Bosa isn't the player he once was, but he did have a solidly productive season for the Buffalo Bills in 2025, racking up 5 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, and 16 QB hits in 15 games. He's still a starting-caliber player and nearly signed with the 49ers last offseason. Well, this might be the year where he finally decides to sign with the team and join his brother, Nick Bosa, on the defensive line.
San Francisco is in need of some pass-rushing help. Signing the other Bosa brother makes a load of sense.