The top beneficiaries from the 2026 NFL offseason

Signed to be a starter for the Commanders in 2024, Allegretti was demoted last season. The former Super Bowl LVIII Chiefs fill-in starter lost his first-string Commanders gig, making just four starts after a 17-start 2024 at guard. Allegretti avoided becoming a cap casualty and instead landed an extension. Although the money is modest for NFL purposes (two years, $7.6 million), the seventh-year blocker has a path to a second chance as a Washington starter. The team releasing center Tyler Biadasz and waiting until Round 6 to draft a snapper opens a door for Allegretti to take over. 

The Vikings signed both Allen and Hargrave in 2025 after each was a cap casualty elsewhere. The Commanders cut Allen, and the 49ers cut Hargrave. Each landed a multiyear deal in Minnesota, but a Vikings cap crunch sent both back to free agency in March. Rather than needing to settle for substantial pay cuts as players released twice in two years, each landed on their feet. The Packers signed Hargrave to a two-year, $23 million deal, and the Bengals -- before their Dexter Lawrence trade -- gave Allen a two-year, $25M pact. Neither received as much guaranteed money as the Vikings provided last year, but on a thin D-tackle market, the street FAs fared well.

Sitting behind Sam Howell for 17 Commanders games in 2023, Brissett gave way to Drake Maye early in 2024. The Cardinals signed him to back up Kyler Murray last year but turned to the QB nomad for 12 starts. He went 1-11 in those games and saw the team hire a new coaching staff. Post-Murray, the Cards brought in Gardner Minshew on a one-year deal -- at a lower rate than Brissett's two-year, $12.5 million accord -- and did not end up with rumored target Ty Simpson. Instead, Arizona waited until Round 3 and chose Carson Beck. Brissett is angling for a new contract, as the Cards still view him as their starter (as they presumably prepare for a 2027 QB investment).

During the period in which they believed they were offloading Maxx Crosby's contract to the Ravens, the Raiders signed both Dean and Quay Walker (among other notable investments in free agency). Dean landed a three-year, $36 million deal that included $20M guaranteed at signing. It was a bit surprising a player with Dean's injury history could command that kind of guarantee. The former Eagles third-round pick has missed 25 games (counting playoff contests) in four seasons. The Georgia product has battled foot trouble and suffered a patellar tendon tear in January 2025. The Raiders are making a big bet he can shake this trend.

Dean's injury history pales in comparison to Dobbins'. The former Ravens second-round pick has missed 58 games (counting the playoffs) in six seasons. Dobbins is one of the NFL's most efficient running backs but has a strong claim to the league's most injury-prone player. The injury reputation limited him to $1.61 million with the Chargers in 2024 and $2.1M with the Broncos last year. Despite a Lisfranc injury sidelining him in November, Denver's starter landed a two-year deal worth $16M. More notably, Dobbins received $8M in guaranteed compensation. This came after the Broncos' push for Travis Etienne failed. Denver also waited until Round 4 to draft a back (Jonah Coleman).

The Packers have cleared the decks for Golden, the team's first Round 1 wide receiver investment since Javon Walker (2002). Green Bay featured a crowded receiver room in 2025, adding Golden and third-rounder Savion Williams to a group housing regulars Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks. The Packers let Doubs leave (for New England) in free agency and traded Wicks to Philadelphia, where he will reunite with ex-Packer assistant-turned-Eagles OC Sean Mannion. After a 361-yard rookie season, Golden will be expected to play a regular role alongside Reed and the injury-prone Watson.

Greenlaw has not enjoyed a healthy season since 2023. The longtime Fred Warner sidekick suffered an ill-timed Achilles tear, costing the 49ers dearly in a Super Bowl LVIII overtime loss. Greenlaw then missed almost all of the 2024 season due to Achilles rehab. He fetched a three-year, $31.5 million Broncos deal, but his injury history made that effectively a one-year deal. The Broncos indeed bailed after one season, seeing Greenlaw battle multiple maladies and miss nine games. Greenlaw is back in San Francisco, signing a fully guaranteed $6M deal. The 49ers have enough trust in him that they traded 2025 Warner wingman Dee Winters to the Cowboys.

Johnson did not appear to fit in during Aaron Glenn's first season, and the Jets dangled him in trade talks at the 2025 deadline. The team set a high asking price then and found a taker months later, after Robert Saleh accepted the Titans' head coaching job. The former Jets HC swung a deal for Johnson, sending nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat to New York. Johnson, who managed just three sacks and six QB hits in 14 games in 2025, lands back in Saleh's 4-3 scheme after the Titans passed on drafting Arvell Reese at No. 4 overall. Johnson, who suffered an Achilles tear in September 2024, has a clear path to a contract-year starting role.

The 2023 draft saw a rather large number of its first-rounders exercise fifth-year options. Twenty-three players in total received fully guaranteed 2027 salaries via the option. The Chargers made Johnston one of the most surprising members of this contingent. Although the TCU product has been far from a bust, having combined to haul in 16 touchdown receptions over the past two seasons, he has been more solid than spectacular. Nevertheless, a Bolts regime that did not draft him signed off on an $18 million guarantee for 2027. The Chargers will continue to use him as one of their Ladd McConkey complementary targets. 

Kirk Cousins, without the statistical baseline. Jones managed another windfall after a rebound season. The former No. 6 overall pick squeezed the Giants in 2023, landing a four-year deal that helped lead Saquon Barkley out of town. The Giants cut him in 2024, but a Colts team desperate to stop a QB carousel and fix their Anthony Richardson mistake bit. Jones' one-year, $14 million deal preceded an explosive start and another major injury. Despite having an ACL tear, multiple instances of neck trouble, and now an Achilles tear on his resume, Jones scored a transition tag and a two-year, $88M extension. With the Colts trading two first-rounders for Sauce Gardner, Jones pounced and cashed in again.

After Detroit's "Sonic and Knuckles" tandem featured considerable contributions from "Knuckles" in 2024, Jahmyr Gibbs took over the backfield last season. Montgomery, a full-time starter in 2023 and '24, managed 182 touches to Gibbs' 320. The Lions missed the playoffs and, with Gibbs on track to score a big-ticket extension, traded Montgomery to the Texans. Houston needed to replace Joe Mixon, cut after dealing with a still-unspecified injury, and it even gave Montgomery a pay bump -- to the tune of $10 million guaranteed -- upon arrival. This marks the third veteran contract the RB has signed after an unremarkable Bears tenure.

When the Chiefs signed Moore in 2025, 49ers GM John Lynch -- whose team used Moore as a swing tackle -- did a double-take. The Chiefs gave Moore a two-year, $30 million deal to be a backup. Among players who entered the season as second-stringers, Moore's salary trailed only Kirk Cousins'. The Chiefs ended up needing Moore after first-rounder Josh Simmons' mysterious midseason absence, and the team cut unreliable right tackle Jawaan Taylor to clear cap space in March. The Chiefs also focused on defense in the draft, not drafting an offensive lineman. Barring a late-offseason move, Moore is positioned to take over at right tackle.

The Packers turned to Rasheed Walker to replace David Bakhtiari, whose career turned after an injury during a New Year's Eve practice in 2020, but drafted Morgan to be the presumptive long-term replacement. Walker, however, kept the Green Bay left tackle gig for two more seasons. Morgan has primarily played guard over his first two seasons, but with Walker joining the Panthers in free agency, he will essentially become the Packers' LT by default. Similar to the Steelers letting Dan Moore Jr. walk and giving their LT job to first-rounder Broderick Jones, the Packers are counting on Morgan -- a college LT -- establishing himself in the high-profile role soon.

The Cardinals appeared ready to reinsert Murray into their lineup weeks after his foot injury induced a hiatus, but a strange sequence in which the longtime starter was shuttled to IR commenced. The team then started journeyman Jacoby Brissett the rest of the way in a 3-14 season. Murray, whose 2026 salary was guaranteed in March 2025, received a pink slip and an interesting opportunity. He jumps from a rebuilding Cardinals team to a Vikings squad rostering Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. Apparently a Vikings fan growing up, Murray will attempt to rebound under QB guru Kevin O'Connell as the Vikes look to replace an erratic J.J. McCarthy.

During the window when the Raiders believed they were sending Maxx Crosby's $35.5 million-per-year contract to Baltimore, they reached a deal with Paye. The five-year Colts edge rusher signed a three-year, $48M Raiders deal, and although the Ravens reneged on the Crosby trade a day later, Las Vegas kept its unofficial commitments. Paye almost certainly would not have collected the contract he did from Vegas had the team known Crosby was staying, but timing proved fortuitous for the 2021 first-rounder. Paye also managed to score $25.7M guaranteed despite coming off a down contract year. 

We're back here with Rodgers again. Although Mike Tomlin's exit was viewed as likely to halt Rodgers' Pittsburgh stay at one year, the team hired Mike McCarthy and stood down in free agency. McCarthy and Rodgers were not exactly on great terms by the time the HC's Packers stay ended late in the 2018 season, but McCarthy coached Rodgers for 12-plus years. The Steelers also waited until Round 3 to draft a quarterback, adding Penn State's Drew Allar. Rodgers then scored a sizable raise, going from a $13.65 million contract in 2025 to a $22M deal this year. Not a bad outcome for a 42-year-old QB who seemed not to be in play for any other team.

Schlottmann has started 18 games in seven NFL seasons. He is a journeyman backup, never starting more than four games in a season. But the Titans' decision to add Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator led to a few of his old Giants heading south. Daboll reunited with Wan'Dale Robinson, Cor'Dale Flott and ex-Bills quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Schlottmann signed a two-year, $7 million deal for a Titans team that cut Ran Carthon-era free agency flop Lloyd Cushenberry. Daboll and Robert Saleh look to have Schlottmann -- with the Broncos and Vikings prior to his New York stop -- as an unlikely replacement at center.

Smith's Pete Carroll reunion could not have gone much worse. The Raiders traded a third-round pick for the three-year Seahawks starter, and as Sam Darnold ended up quarterbacking a Super Bowl winner, Smith appeared to be foisted on Las Vegas. Smith led the NFL in INTs with 17, despite missing two games, and looked set to be released and relegated to backup duty once again. A Jets team eyeing the 2027 QB class, however, added Smith and is expected to turn to him as a starter once again. Smith's first Jets stint took an infamous turn via a locker room sucker punch 11 years ago, but he is now the unquestioned bridge starter ahead of his age-36 season.

Tagovailoa has gone from an injury-prone QB whom the Dolphins benched late last season to a player with a shot to earn a starting job with a better Falcons team. The Dolphins took on a record-smashing dead money sum ($99.2 million) in releasing their six-year QB, but rather than landing with a team carrying a locked-in starter, Tagovailoa -- whose Dolphins contract will pay him $54M guaranteed in 2026 -- signed with a Falcons team that rebooted its front office and coaching staff. The regime that drafted the inconsistent (and perhaps even more injury-prone) Michael Penix Jr. is out. Tagovailoa is competing to be Kevin Stefanski's latest QB reclamation project.

The Colts have a recent history of elevating second-year O-linemen into starters. They turned to Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves in 2025 after losing Ryan Kelly and Will Fries in free agency, and are aiming to install Travis as their new right tackle. Indianapolis employed Braden Smith as its RT for most of the past nine seasons but let him defect to Houston in free agency. A 6-foot-8 tackle chosen in last year's fourth round, Travis started four games as a rookie. He has a clear path to join Bernhard Raimann as tackles blocking for Daniel Jones this season.

Turner showed promise in his second season but did not have a clear path to a starting role entering 2026. Jonathan Greenard, however, sought a raise the Vikings were not willing to pay. This chapter ended with Minnesota trading the Pro Bowl edge rusher to Philadelphia, which did approve a raise. This leaves Turner as a starter-to-be with the Vikings. The 2024 first-round pick, who totaled eight sacks as a part-time starter last season, is set to join Andrew Van Ginkel as Brian Flores' starting outside linebackers. With Van Ginkel turning 31 and in a contract year, the Vikes are counting on Turner.

A Jaguars regime that did not draft Travis Etienne let the Urban Meyer-era first-rounder defect in free agency. Etienne appears set to replace Alvin Kamara in New Orleans, signing a $12 million-per-year deal. The Jags signed Chris Rodriguez as a low-cost replacement, but their offseason actions point to Tuten becoming the lead back after mixing in behind Etienne as a rookie. Clocking a sub-4.4-second 40-yard dash time at the 2025 Combine, the former fourth-round pick saw the Jaguars stand down at running back in this year's draft. 

While Quentin Johnston seeing his fifth-year option exercised brought a moderate surprise, Van Ness seeing his being picked up represents quite the bet on the Packers' part. The 2023 first-round pick has not justified his draft slot (No. 13) yet or come particularly close to doing so, registering 8.5 sacks in three seasons. Van Ness has made two career starts but will see his 2027 salary ($13.75 million) lock in. The Packers, who traded Rashan Gary to the Cowboys and have Micah Parsons likely to miss early-season time after an ACL tear, are a bit desperate to see Van Ness -- exclusively a backup at Iowa -- complete a belated breakthrough.

As the Dolphins go through a teardown for the second time in seven years, they used Waddle as a trade chip. The Broncos gave up first- and third-rounders for the speedy wideout, who was set to play for one of the NFL's worst teams. After seeing Tua Tagovailoa struggle to stay healthy and find his targets, Waddle relocates to a team that finished 14-3 last season. Waddle will be the skill-position centerpiece of a Sean Payton offense. That role has proven beneficial to many receivers (including new teammate Courtland Sutton) in the past. Waddle is still tied to his Miami contract, but a quality 2026 season puts him on track for a 2027 Denver extension. 

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam labeled the team's 2022 Watson trade a "big swing and miss." This came after the embattled quarterback woefully underwhelmed on his historic fully guaranteed contract before suffering two Achilles tears. Watson spent last season on the reserve/PUP list, but he remains on Cleveland's roster due to his guaranteed deal. The biggest sunk cost in NFL history, Watson has somehow maneuvered his way toward a real shot at reclaiming his starting job under new coach Todd Monken. The Browns did not add a QB in the draft or free agency, giving the soon-to-be 31-year-old Watson -- last an effective passer in 2020 with Houston -- a chance to fend off Shedeur Sanders for the job.

Hopefully Mansoor Delane's agent has advised him to rent in Kansas City. The Chiefs have a clear M.O. at cornerback under Andy Reid: one contract and out. The team has now traded McDuffie, L'Jarius Sneed and Marcus Peters while letting Jaylen Watson, Charvarius Ward, Kendall Fuller and Steven Nelson defect in free agency. With the Chiefs' top two corners joining the Rams, Delane will take over one spot. Williams is positioned to commandeer the other. The 2025 third-round pick started five games and played 44% of the team's defensive snaps as a rookie. With the team again starting over at CB, that number should rise considerably this season.