The NFL offseason is underway, and the most busy week of transactions is almost upon us.

Free agency is one of the best ways for teams to improve from one year to another. Just look at the New England Patriots, who paid up for Milton Williams, Stefon Diggs and Carlton Davis last March and then made the Super Bowl.

Plenty of teams will be looking to replicate that model this year, but it’s not easy. Between early extensions and franchise tags, many of the best players have already been taken off the market before the legal tampering period even begins.

Here’s what to know for free agency, including the start dates, top players available and teams with cap space.

When does NFL free agency start?

The legal tampering period begins Monday, March 9, at 12 p.m. ET. This is when you’ll start to hear about players meeting with teams, and there will be reports of contract agreements.

Players cannot officially sign with their new clubs until Wednesday, March 11, at 4 p.m. ET when the new league year begins. By this time, many of the top free agents will already have verbal agreements on their new contracts. So, expect all the significant action to happen from March 9-11.

Who are the top NFL free agents available in 2026?

There are plenty of intriguing players on the market this year. Here are three key names at each position:

Quarterbacks

Malik Willis, Packers

Daniel Jones, Colts

Aaron Rodgers, Steelers

Running backs

Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks

Travis Etienne, Jaguars

Rico Dowdle, Panthers

Kenneth Walker III powered the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl LX championship and earned MVP honors with a dominant performance, becoming the first running back in nearly three decades to win the award.

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Travis Kelce, Chiefs

David Njoku, Browns

Isaiah Likely, Ravens

Here are five things to know about Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce.

Offensive linemen

Tyler Linderbaum, Ravens (center)

Rasheed Walker, Packers (tackle)

David Edwards, Bills (guard)

EDGE

Trey Hendrickson, Bengals

Odafe Oweh, Chargers

Jaelan Phillips, Eagles

Linebackers

Devin Lloyd, Jaguars

Kaden Elliss, Falcons

Quincy Williams, Jets

Cornerbacks

Jaylen Watson, Chiefs

Jamel Dean, Buccaneers

Nahshon Wright, Bears

Safeties

Bryan Cook, Chiefs

Coby Bryant, Seahawks

Kamren Curl, Rams

Which NFL teams have the most and least cap space in 2026?

Cap space is constantly changing for teams, especially around this time of year. Every club has to get under the cap heading into the new league year. Some teams have plenty of room to work with, while others are going to have to cut players or restructure contracts just to get back to even.

As of March 2, here are the teams with the most cap room:

Tennessee Titans: $94.8 million

Las Vegas Raiders: $89.08 million

New York Jets: $88.72 million

Los Angeles Chargers: $85.45 million

Washington Commanders: $71.28 million

On the other end, 11 teams are currently over the cap and must cut salary before the new league year. Those clubs are the Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys.