The NFL was crazy about free agency.
Between the start of the free agent signing window and 8 p.m. ET on Monday, NFL franchises paid out $2.3 billion in total contracts, per NFL Research.
Not all of that money is guaranteed, but still the number jumps off the page. That number continued to grow into the night, and that doesn’t even count the likes of the Patriots swiping Alijah Vera-Tucker from the Jets late in the night or the Chiefs finally adding a draft pick with Alohi Gilman.
Unsurprisingly, the two underdog clubs with the most money and the biggest holes coming into free agency were also the biggest spenders: The Las Vegas Raiders spent $281.5 million, while the Tennessee Titans came in second at $270.0 million. With massive holes to fill on every roster, the spending sprees were justified. Will they win like the Patritos did last year, turning a bottom 5 team into an immediate contender? Or, as we have seen many times in history, will the spending be the latest flop for a perennial doormat?
Nine players have so far signed contracts averaging around $20 million per year:
Panthers EDGE Jaelan Phillips $30.0M
Colts WR Alec Pierce $28.5M
Raiders C Tyler Linderbaum $27.0M
Commanders EDGE Odafe Oweh $25.0M
Dolphins QB Malik Willis $22.5M
Titans DT John Franklin-Myers $21.0M
49ers WR Mike Evans $20.1M
Titans CB Alontae Taylor $20.0M
Bengals EDGE Boye Mafe $20.0M
The free agent buzzword being thrown around this year is “highest average in a free agent year,” with by free agent cut the majority of big contracts that come with extensions. It’s a cute way to sell a free agent signing with a little more pizzazz. So let’s play that game: Phillips (EDGE), Pierce (WR), Linderbaum (C) and Taylor (CB) all set their state record for largest AYP by a free agent.
Phillips ($120.0M), Pierce ($114.0M) and Oweh ($100.0M) all signed $100-plus million contracts on the first day of 2026 free agency. It tied 2024 for the most $100-plus million deals in whole free agency period.
Not all teams were spending big on new toys. Five teams have yet to sign out free agent: Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks. The most obvious thing these five have in common: They all made the playoffs in 2025.