Day one of free agency is in the books, and there are still so many players out on the market, so the fun is really only getting started. We're still in the legal tampering period, so none of the contracts can be signed and become official unless players stay with their previous team and essentially re-sign.
Most of the free agency deals we have seen have been agreed upon by teams and players' agents, but the players cannot sign them until March 11th. Anyway, like always, there are some top-shelf free agency deals that went down, and others that teams are going to soon regret.
Now that we're into day two of free agency, let's dive into the five best free agency contracts from the first day of action.
Ranking the best overall free agency contracts as day one wraps up
5. Kenneth Walker, Kansas City Chiefs (three years, $43.05 million)
While I do not necessarily agree with the Kansas City Chiefs paying top-shelf money for a running back, I see why they did it. For multiple years now, and even during their Super Bowl runs, the Chiefs never really scared you that much with the rushing attack.
And in today's NFL, you don't necessarily have to spend big-time in the backfield, but it became very clear in 2025 that the Chiefs simply had to get better at this position, so the front office wasted no time here and won the Kenneth Walker III sweepstakes. Walker isn't a great running back, but he's going to raise the floor big-time and become a yearly 1,000-yard rusher.
4. Bryan Cook, Cincinnati Bengals (three years, $40.25 million)
The Cincinnati Bengals not only will sign a player from a top rival in the Chiefs, but they also addressed a key position of need in the secondary, and it's just nice to see that the front office was not afraid to spend some money this offseason. They have missed the playoffs three years in a row, and in 2025, the defense hit rock-bottom. Cincy simply needs better players on that side of the ball, and they got a huge upgrade in Bryan Cook.
3. John Simpson, Baltimore Ravens (three years, $30 million)
John Simpson played for the Baltimore Ravens for one season, back in 2023. He's not missed a start since the 2022 season and just finished up a two-year stint with the New York Jets. Simpson isn't necessarily a household name among the top guards in the NFL, but he's an above-average player at a really weak spot for the Ravens.
Well, it was weak, but Simpson is going to come right in and fill a huge void along the interior. Yes, the Ravens did lose Tyler Linderbaum, and we'll get to him in a second, but this deal is still a great one. Lamar Jackson simply cannot keep playing behind as bad of an offensive line as we saw in 2025. With Jesse Minter now as the head coach, the Ravens have gotten to work beefing up the trenches with the Maxx Crosby trade and now this under-the-radar, but solid signing.
2. Jermaine Eluemunor, New York Giants (three years, $39 million
Jermaine Eluemunor has been in the NFL since 2017, but he happened to play the best football of his career in 2024 and 2025 for the New York Giants. The Giants were able to get him back on a three-year deal, rewarding him nicely for holding down the right side of the offensive line.
And once again, it's not like Eluemunor is a big-time name, but it's that the Giants kept a huge piece of the offensive line and took care of that spot. In year two for Jaxson Dart, he'll have to learn how to better take care of himself, but the Giants also have a responsibility to keep things strong around him.
This is one of those instances. Eluemunor back as the Giants right tackle is a sensational move.
1. Tyler Linderbaum, Las Vegas Raiders (three years, $81 million)
Tyler Linderbaum is now getting paid closer to $30 million per season than $20 million thanks to a massive contract from the Las Vegas Raiders. While he is likely getting overpaid a bit, Linderbaum is a top-three center in the NFL and is very likely snapping footballs to Fernando Mendoza when 2026 rolls around.
The quarterback-center relationship is hugely important, and the Raiders getting ahead and getting one of the best is going to make life a lot easier for Mendoza down the line. Sure, it's only a three-year deal, but Linderbaum will soon be in their building.