Five most intriguing positions in 2026 NFL free agency

Starting at noon ET on March 9, NFL teams can begin negotiating with agents — or players without representation — on free-agent contracts ahead of the official start of the 2026 league year (March 11, 4 p.m. ET).

Before being bombarded with a flurry of news alerts, here's a look at the five most intriguing positions of this year's free agency cycle.

Quarterbacks

While the market lacks a sure thing — franchise quarterbacks rarely hit free agency — teams needing a quarterback have some compelling options.

Based on experience and the expectation he'll likely sign for the minimum, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who will be released at the start of the league year, might be the safest option in the class.

It will be interesting to see if a team like the Miami Dolphins, who have a similar decision as the Cardinals to make regarding quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, prefer to kick the tires on Murray rather than spending a larger sum to coax Malik Willis, who made only one (albeit very good) start in 2025, to South Beach. How much Willis earns is one of the offseason's most fascinating subplots.

Veterans Kirk Cousins and Geno Smith are also likely to hit the open market, while Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson's availability on the trade block may also influence how teams approach the quarterback free-agent class.

Edge-rushers

Arguably the most important position for today's NFL defenses, edge-rushers will command plenty of attention at the start of free agency. Trey Hendrickson, Jaelan Phillips, Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson are the top available options, and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby looms as a trade candidate.

As ESPN's Ben Solak recently wrote, it's anyone's guess how the market will shake out in terms of who among the top free agents earns to biggest contract. Hendrickson, despite missing 10 games and turning 32 during the 2026 season, might be the likeliest to command north of $30 million per year on a shorter-term contract.

But considering how valuable edge-rushers are, it wouldn't be a surprise if the other best available players (Phillips and Oweh, in particular) maximize their worth. It's hard to justify either getting more than Denver Broncos edge Nik Bonitto got on his September 2025 extension (four years, $106M, including $38.346M guaranteed), but that might simply be the benefit of hitting free agency this offseason.

Running backs

Only one team can draft Jeremiyah Love. The former Notre Dame running back is arguably the best prospect in the draft, and several teams in the top 10 could use him, including the Cardinals (No. 3), Tennessee Titans (No. 4), New Orleans Saints (No. 8) and Kansas City Chiefs (No. 9). And while signing one of this year's talented group of free-agent running backs won't exclude a team from drafting Love, it would make doing so much less of a necessity.

The Saints and Chiefs are rumored to be looking at Travis Etienne, who has rushed for over a 1,000 yards in three of his first four seasons. Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III will also command considerable interest.

The second-tier includes J.K. Dobbins, Rico Dowdle and Rachaad White, and they might sign faster (and for more) than anticipated.

Wide receivers

Alec Pierce has averaged 21.8 yards per catch over the past two seasons and could easily top $30M per year. Rashid Shaheed, another quality deep threat, will be a fine — and cheaper — Plan B for teams that whiff on Pierce, perhaps even taking his role in Indianapolis.

The wide receiver class has gotten deeper with the pending releases of Stefon Diggs and Darnell Mooney, as they join Wan'Dale Robinson, Romeo Doubs and Jauan Jennings among wideouts who could command decent money on multi-year deals.

Offensive line

Teams aren't afraid to splurge on linemen, the league's most under-appreciated position group. Last season, guard Will Fries was projected to earn $14.31M annually, including $30M guaranteed, but ended up signing a five-year, $87.72M ($17.544M AAV) contract with $44M guaranteed with the Minnesota Vikings.

Similar stories have played out multiple other times this decade.