The 2026 NFL free agency period kicked off Monday with the opening of the legal tampering period, where prospective free agents are officially able to negotiate with new teams.
Those deals can officially be signed Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, which marks the official start of the new league year. In addition to those deals, trades that were agreed to prior to the official start of free agency can also become official.
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Monday’s action kicked off with the news that the Dolphins will release Tua Tagovailoa, who will reportedly sign with the Falcons on a one-year deal. Travis Kelce is reportedly set on returning to the Chiefs for 2026, while Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III is reportedly in agreement on a deal to join Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. Wide receiver Alec Pierce is set to return to Indianapolis, the Steelers are signing running back Rico Dowdle, and Mike Evans is making the move from Tampa Bay to the Bay Area.
With 10 NFL teams having hired new coaches for the 2026 season and the shuffle of coordinators that followed, it’s sure to be a busy start to the league year. Check out Yahoo Sports’ full list of top available free agents and our free agency transactions tracker for a look at each team’s most notable free agency departures, new signings and trades.
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for the latest NFL free agency news, updates and rumors as the legal tampering period opens up.
Live122 updates
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 4:10 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
Fresh off a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks, Riq Woolen is heading to another contender.
The young cornerback has agreed to a one-year deal to join the Philadelphia Eagles, per multiple reports. The contract is reportedly worth up to $15 million. Woolen joins an already strong Eagles defense that is only one season removed from a Super Bowl win of their own.
For more, read here.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 3:28 PM PDT
Jason Owens
The New Orleans Saints are signing former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kaden Ellis to a three-year, $33 million contract, according to multiple reports.
Ellis, 30, recorded 100-plus combined tackles in each of this three seasons in Atlanta. He returns to the Saints team that drafted him in 2019 with a seventh-round pick. Ellis played his first four seasons in New Orleans before signing with the Falcons.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 3:22 PM PDT
Jason Owens
The New York Giants are signing former Miami Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders to a one-year contract, ESPN reports.
Sanders missed all of last season with a hip injury but is one of the league’s most accurate kickers when healthy. An All-Pro in 2020, Sanders connected on 37 of 41 (91.2%) of his field goal attempts in his last healthy season in Miami in 2024.
The Dolphins released Sanders last week. He’d previously played his entire seven-season NFL career with Miami.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 3:13 PM PDT
Jason Owens
The Cleveland Browns are expected to sign former Packers Pro Bowl center Elgton Jenkins, NFL Network reports.
Per the report, Jenkins will sign a two-year contract worth $24 million with $20 million guaranteed. Jenkins could play guard or center for the Browns, per the report.
The Packers released Jenkins on Monday in a salary cap-saving move, putting him on the market as one of the best interior linemen in free agency. A two-time Pro Bowler, Jenkins is 30 years old.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 1:45 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
The Pittsburgh Steelers have brought on veteran punter Cameron Johnston with a one-year contract, the team announced Tuesday. Johnston, 34, previously played with the Steelers in 2024, but suffered a season-ending injury and was later released by the team ahead of the 2025 season.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 1:03 PM PDT
Andy Backstrom
Former Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright is signing with the New York Jets on a one-year, $5.5 million max deal, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The Jets didn’t pick off a single pass last season. Wright alone recorded five interceptions during the 2025 campaign. He also forced two fumbles and made the Pro Bowl.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 12:57 PM PDT
Andy Backstrom
Former Denver Broncos safety P.J. Locke is signing with the Dallas Cowboys on a one-year deal worth $5 million, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Locke spent six seasons with the Broncos, playing in 90 games and making 26 starts along the way.
This past season, he saw his defensive snap count decline, but he managed to make an impact in the playoffs. He recorded an interception and a forced fumble during Denver’s divisional-round win over the Buffalo Bills.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 11:23 AM PDT
Andy Backstrom
Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs is signing with the New England Patriots, according to multiple reports.
Doubs has agreed to a four-year deal worth $80 million, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
Doubs has yet to record a 1,000-yard receiving season but logged 21 touchdown grabs over four years with the Packers.
Read more here.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 11:20 AM PDT
Kari Anderson
The Las Vegas Raiders are sending quarterback Geno Smith to the New York Jets, per multiple reports. The Jets also get a 2026 seventh-round pick in the transaction, while the Raiders get a 2026 sixth-round pick in return.
The Raiders had reportedly planned to release Smith during the offseason, but opt to trade him instead.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 11:10 AM PDT
Chris Cwik
The Houston Texans are picking up some more protection for quarterback C.J. Stroud. The team reportedly agreed to a two-year, $20 million deal with former Indianapolis Colts offensive lineman Braden Smith on Tuesday, per NFL Network.
The deal can be worth a maximum of $25 million. Smith played guard in college, but has mostly played tackle in the NFL.
The 29-year-old Smith has missed games here and there due to injury, but has started in every game in which he’s played since the 2019 NFL season.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 10:32 AM PDT
Chris Cwik
The Houston Texans are rewarding kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn after he turned in an excellent season in 2025. The team reportedly signed the kicker to a two-year, $13 million extension Tuesday, making him the highest paid kicker in the NFL, per NFL Network.
Fairbairn is coming off a season in which he made a league-high 44 field goals on a league-high 48 attempts.
The 32-year-old has been a consistent presence in Houston since the 2017 NFL season. While he’s never made the Pro Bowl, Fairbairn has led the NFL in field goals made in two separate seasons.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 10:27 AM PDT
Chris Cwik
The Miami Dolphins reportedly found their replacement for veteran Jason Sanders on Tuesday. The team reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with Zane Gonzalez days after cutting Sanders, per ESPN.
Gonzalez, 30, played in nine games with the Atlanta Falcons in 2025. He went 19-for-22 on field-goal attempts.
Gonzalez has bounced around to five different franchises over his career. He’s battled injuries at times, though turned in an impressive run with the Falcons at the end of the 2025 season.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 10:14 AM PDT
Andy Backstrom
Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco is signing with the Detroit Lions, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The Lions shipped off David Montgomery to the Houston Texans, opening up a spot in a backfield that will still feature Jahmyr Gibbs. That’s where Pacheco will come into play.
He’ll say goodbye to a Chiefs squad that’s reportedly signing former Seattle Seahawks back, and reigning Super Bowl MVP, Kenneth Walker III.
Pacheco has dealt with injury issues lately but began his Chiefs career with back-to-back seasons averaging at least 4.6 yards per carry. In 2023, he piled up 1,179 scrimmage yards and nine total touchdowns.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 9:13 AM PDT
Chris Cwik
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson is brining a familiar name to his new team. The Bears reportedly agreed to a deal with wideout and kick returner Kalif Raymond on Tuesday, per NFL Network.
Raymond, 31, is a contributor in the passing game, but has excelled more as a return man.
He’s been a second-team All-Pro team member twice as a punt returner, and will almost certainly fill that void with the Bears.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 8:31 AM PDT
Sean Leahy
The 29-year-old Knox will enter his eighth NFL season in 2026, all with the Bills. The third-round draft pick in 2019 played all 17 games last season, catching 36 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 7:43 AM PDT
Andy Backstrom
Former New York Giants safety Dane Belton is signing a one-year, $4 million deal with the New York Jets, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
With incentives, Belton will reportedly be able to make up to $6 million.
The Giants selected Belton in the fourth round of the 2022 draft out of Iowa. He scattered 22 starts across the past four seasons, including nine during the 2025 campaign.
Last season, he played a career-high 705 defensive snaps, per PFF, and registered 120 total tackles, the second most on the team. He also forced three fumbles and tallied the sixth interception of his career.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 7:08 AM PDT
Andy Backstrom
The Green Bay Packers are releasing cornerback Nate Hobbs, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Just a year ago, the Packers inked Hobbs to a four-year, $48 million contract after he spent the 2021-24 seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Illinois product began his Packers stint as a starter before losing that job and watching his snap count decline significantly.
He was targeted 25 times during the 2025 campaign and gave up 17 grabs for 239 yards and 2 touchdowns, according to PFF.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 6:59 AM PDT
Andy Backstrom
The Carolina Panthers made a splash in free agency on Monday, reportedly signing highly coveted edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and All-Pro linebacker Devin Lloyd.
They began Tuesday with much quieter moves, albeit ones that will help fortify their depth on the defensive side of the ball.
Carolina re-signed defensive end LaBryan Ray and cornerback Robert Rochell.
Notably, Ray started nine games for the Panthers two seasons ago — piling up 41 total tackles in his 16 appearances that year — before serving as a rotational piece during the 2025 campaign.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 6:44 AM PDT
Andy Backstrom
Former Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Greg Newsome II has agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $10 million with the New York Giants, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Newsome is a former first-round pick. The Cleveland Browns selected him 26th overall out of Northwestern in 2021.
He spent the first four-plus seasons of his NFL career with the Browns before they traded him midseason last year to Jacksonville.
Tue, March 10, 2026 at 4:50 AM PDT
Chris Cwik
The Buffalo Bills are restructuring their contract with kicker Tyler Bass.
After missing last season with an injury, Bass will make less money in 2026. But his revised deal contains incentives that could bump his pay back up.
Prior to the injury, Bass was among the more reliable kickers on one of the NFL’s best offenses.