The Top Five 2026 NFL Free-Agency Signings

Mike Evans could be the missing piece in the 49ers’ Super Bowl push. Plus, one team spent big for a foundational element to spark its rebuild.

After 12 seasons in Tampa Bay, Mike Evans has signed with the 49ers. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The first wave of free agency delivered several intriguing storylines, including a sight we thought we would never see: Mike Evans playing for a different team. 

Evans suiting up for the 49ers, not the Buccaneers, will likely make the NFC West even more competitive in 2026. But the Rams didn’t settle after a memorable 2025 season, landing a pair of standout cornerbacks in Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie. 

As for another shocker, the Raiders decided to pay a center a whopping $27 million per season. Tyler Linderbaum left Baltimore to play in Las Vegas, and in a way, so did Maxx Crosby after the Ravens backed out of the blockbuster trade with the Raiders. 

Kyler Murray joining the Vikings after being released by the Cardinals was a bit predictable. But the move coming to fruition could give the NFL a new dynamic quarterback-receiver pairing if Murray regains his top form while throwing to Justin Jefferson. 

Here are the five best NFL free-agency signings in 2026.

5. Kyler Murray, QB, Vikings

I have my reservations about this new partnership, which I’ll explain in a bit, but the Vikings got an absolute steal, paying Murray only $1.3 million for the 2026 season. Given that price, I’m surprised more teams didn’t line up to bet on Murray’s upside. When he’s at his best, he’s a dangerous playmaker away from the pocket. But Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell prefers his quarterbacks to stand in the pocket. 

Murray struggled playing with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing in Arizona over the past two seasons because the scheme didn’t prioritize his athletic gifts, asking more of him from the pocket. Maybe that was the Cardinals’ way of protecting Murray, who sustained a torn ACL, missed half of the 2023 season, and they overthought how to use the 2019 No. 1 pick. 

O’Connell and Murray will need to meet in the middle to form a productive offense that benefits both sides. Murray is essentially playing for a long-term contract, and O’Connell, who’s winless in the playoffs as a coach, desperately needs a bounce-back season after the disastrous results he got from J.J. McCarthy. First things first, though, Murray will need to beat out McCarthy for the job before getting the benefits that come from working with O’Connell and throwing to Jefferson.

4. Jamel Dean, CB, Steelers

Most of the attention has been on the moves Pittsburgh made to repair its sluggish offense, including the trade for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and the signing of running back Rico Dowdle. But the Steelers also improved their secondary with the signing of Dean, one of the more underrated players at the position. 

Yes, signing Dean to a three-year, $36.75 million deal feels reminiscent of last year when the team added two cornerbacks on the wrong side of 30, Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay, which led to disastrous results for the secondary. But it’s not the same situation because there were signs early that Ramsey needed to play more as a slot cornerback or safety in the back end of his career. Still, the team regularly asked Ramsey to defend No. 1 wide receivers on the perimeter. 

Dean, who will turn 30 later this year, has shown over the past two seasons that he can still contribute at a high level as an outside cornerback. Pittsburgh now has the flexibility to make Joey Porter Jr. the No. 1 outside corner, with Dean on the opposite side and Ramsey making a full-time transition on the inside or even as a part-time safety. 

However, there’s still a possibility the team will move Ramsey later this season. If that were to happen, the Steelers would still be better off than a year ago when they asked too much of Ramsey and ended up cutting Slay midway through the season. 

After four seasons in Kansas City, Jaylen Watson will suit up with the Rams next season. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

3. Jaylen Watson, CB, Rams

The Rams gained plenty of flexibility when they doubled-dipped at cornerback, signing Watson to a three-year, $51 million deal not long after trading for McDuffie and handing him a market-setting four-year, $124 million contract extension. 

Watson will likely reassure the Rams that they made the right decision to splurge at cornerback because he can hold his own on the outside and will give defensive coordinator Chris Shula the option of playing McDuffie on the inside. Sure, there will be times when McDuffie will need to shadow No. 1 wideouts (he is making $31 million annually after all), but he would have had to do that full-time if the team didn’t add another expensive cornerback. 

Also, having Watson will take pressure off safeties Quentin Lake, Kam Curl and Kamren Kinchens. All three were asked to pick up the slack in coverage last season because the cornerbacks weren’t reliable. That wasn’t enough to mask the issues in the secondary, with Matthew Stafford & Co. regularly needing to score at least 30 points.

This could be a vastly improved secondary in 2026, with Watson and McDuffie continuing their partnership away from Kansas City. 

2. Tyler Linderbaum, C, Raiders

Don’t get caught up in the Raiders making a center the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in NFL history. Linderbaum’s three-year, $81 million contract will seem like a bargain if he changes Las Vegas’s culture and provides stability for the incoming rookie quarterback—likely Fernando Mendoza—to hit the ground running as the top pick in the 2026 draft.

Linderbaum is also an excellent blocker in the running game, which could pave the way for Ashton Jeanty to have a dominant season after struggling to find lanes in his rookie season. Having a reliable player in the middle of the offensive line will make the unit better as a whole, even if there’s a lack of talent at other positions. 

If Jeanty and star tight end Brock Bowers deliver prolific numbers in 2026, it will likely be attributed to the offensive line getting significantly better and the Raiders ensuring Linderbaum didn’t sign elsewhere. Money shouldn’t be a factor here when the Raiders had the most cap space heading into free agency and needed building blocks to help the incoming rookie quarterback. 

There’s a high chance Linderbaum checks off many boxes for the rebuild in Las Vegas. 

1. Mike Evans, WR, 49ers

Evans wasn’t exaggerating when he said he’s the final piece the 49ers have needed to win the Super Bowl. The future Hall of Fame wide receiver is that good, and his presence will give coach Kyle Shanahan another element for his extensive playbook that already highlights versatile running back Christian McCaffrey.

Last season, Evans dealt with injuries, but he still dominated when on the field, including a 132-yard performance in Week 15 against the Falcons. That game showed he can still get open and win contested catches. Evans being a handful on the perimeter for opposing defenses will make life easier for Brock Purdy and bring Shanahan joy when crafting game plans this season, knowing that the 6' 5" wideout is on his side.

However, I do have my concerns about Evans needing to be Purdy’s primary option in his age-33 season. But maybe the 49ers have plans to invest in a wide receiver in the draft, and perhaps this is the season that Ricky Pearsall plays a complete season after dealing with injuries the past two years. Also, this unit will be fully loaded when George Kittle returns from his Achilles injury, which could be midway through the 2026 season. 

Do yourself a favor and read Conor Orr’s excellent breakdown of how Evans will fit in Shanahan’s offense.

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