Wednesday is the official start of the NFL’s new league year, meaning all the free agent deals and trades that have been agreed to already can become official as of 4 p.m. ET.
Meanwhile, the free agent news cycle rolls along with more headlines and players on the move.
Follow all the latest NFL free agency news from Wednesday here and catch up on the news of Tuesday and Monday.
Ravens Sign DE Trey Hendrickson After Backing Out Of Maxx Crosby Trade
After reneging on the deal to send two first-round draft picks to the Las Vegas Raiders for elite edge rusher Maxx Crosby over concerns raised in his physical exam, the Baltimore Ravens pivoted Wednesday in reaching a deal with top free agent defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
It’s a four-year, $112-million deal that could be worth up to $120 million with incentives with $60 million fully guaranteed and a $20 million signing bonus, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Hendrickson, who turns 32 years old in December, was limited to seven games last season for the Cincinnati Bengals by a hip/pelvis injury that required “core muscle surgery,” but he had 17.5 sacks each of the two previous seasons, leading the NFL in 2024 while finishing second in defensive player of the year voting.
A four-time Pro Bowl selection and 2024 first-team All-Pro pick, Hendrickson has 81 career sacks and four seasons with at least 13.5.
Instant Analysis: Well, it sure seems like the Ravens ended up in a good spot here as they keep their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks now and still get one of the best edge rushers in the game. This was Baltimore’s biggest need entering free agency, and if Hendrickson returns to form after the injury he should change the entire dynamics of a Ravens defense that tied for 28th in the league with 30 sacks last season.
Colts Reach 2-Year, $88-Million Deal With QB Daniel Jones
After putting the transition tag on Jones, meaning other teams could still pursue the quarterback with the Colts having the right to match any offer sheet, the team and its QB got a deal done Wednesday for two years and $88 million with the potential for it to reach $100 million, per multiple reports.
Jones, the former first-round pick of the New York Giants, revived his career in Indianapolis last year, leading the Colts to an 8-2 start before he started to break down physically. After trying to play through a hairline fracture of his fibula for a couple games, Jones then tore his Achilles in December.
Jones is expected to be ready for the start of the 2026 season, though.
Before the injury, he had passed for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions with 5 rushing TDs.
Instant Analysis: It’s an incredible amount of money to pay a previously maligned quarterback for a half season of solid production, but so it goes with quarterback contracts in the NFL. The two sides were always going to come to some agreement. That the Colts are only committed to two years at that salary is perhaps a win for them.
Commanders Sign EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson
A priority for the Washington Commanders was rebuilding their defense and especially at edge rusher with sack leaders Von Miller and Jacob Martin becoming free agents.
The Commanders made a big move earlier in the week to land Odafe Oweh on a four-year, $100-million deal, and they further bolstered their pass rush Wednesday in signing K’Lavon Chaisson to a one-year, $12-million deal.
Chaisson had a breakout season last year for the New England Patriots with 7.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in the regular season and then 3 more sacks and a forced fumble during the postseason in helping the team reach the Super Bowl.
Instant Analysis: The Commanders hit the mark in upgrading their pass rush with in-their-prime talents who should be tone-setters off the edge for an improved defense. It’s surprising Chaisson couldn’t do better than a one-year deal or that the Patriots didn’t retain him. After totaling just 5 sacks in four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chaisson had 5 in 2024 for the Raiders and then elevated his performance further last season.
Other NFL Transactions Wednesday
-Buffalo Bills restructured the contract of quarterback Josh Allen to create extra salary cap space.
-Baltimore Ravens restructured the contract of quarterback Lamar Jackson to free up significant salary cap space.
-Ravens also sign cornerback Chidobe Awuzie to a one-year, $5-million deal. The nine-year NFL veteran had 43 tackles and 7 passes defended in his first season with the team.
-New York Jets sign kicker Cade York to a one-year deal to replace Nick Folk and re-sign offensive tackle Max Mitchell to a one-year deal. Terms were not immediately available. York was 9 of 13 on field goals last season between the Commanders and Bengals and is 33 of 45 for his career. Mitchell has played 45 games with 17 starts over four seasons with the Jets.
-Seattle Seahawks re-sign long-snapper Chris Stoll on a two-year deal and offensive lineman Josh Jones for one year. Jones, a six-year NFL veteran, played in 14 games with 3 starts last season. Terms were not immediately available.
-Atlanta Falcons sign linebacker Channing Tindall to a one-year deal. He has 24 tackles over four seasons for the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals.
-Miami Dolphins sign edge rusher Josh Uche to a one-year deal. He had 23 tackles and a sack for the Eagles last season. The Dolphins also re-signed outside linebacker Willie Gay to a one-year deal. Gay had 2 sacks last season.
-Cleveland Browns sign tight end Jack Stoll to a one-year deal. The five-year NFL veteran had 6 catches for 46 yards and a TD for the Saints last season.
-Green Bay Packers re-sign edge rusher Brenton Cox Jr. on a one-year, $2.5-million deal. He has 5 sacks over the last two seasons.
-New England Patriots sign linebacker KJ Britt to a one-year deal. He had 35 tackles last season for the Dolphins.
-Dallas Cowboys are signing defensive end Tyrus Wheat to a one-year deal. He had 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks for the Lions last season after spending the previous two years in Dallas.
-Tennessee Titans signed wide receiver and special teams contributor Bryce Oliver to a one-year deal.
-Atlanta Falcons agree to a one-year, $2-million deal with defensive lineman Chris Williams who played in 31 games over the last two seasons with Chicago. Williams had 14 tackles and a sack last season.
-New England Patriots secure safety Kevin Byard III with a one-year, $9-million deal to bring the veteran over from Chicago. Byard, who led the NFL with 7 interceptions, was named an All-Pro in 2025. He had 93 tackles and a team-high 61 solo stops last season.
-Running back Aaron Jones agreed to a restructured one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings that will bring him $5 million guaranteed and up to $5.6 million overall according to Schefter.
-After bringing in Byard, New England watched safety Jaylinn Hawkins agree to a two-year, $10-million deal with the Baltimore Ravens. The 2020 fourth-round pick tied a career high with 45 solo tackles in 2025 with the Patriots to go with 71 total tackles. Hawkins also set a career mark with 4 interceptions last season.
-Washington Commanders agreed to a three-year contract with tight end Chig Okonkwo and a separate deal with safety Nick Cross. Okonkwo caught 194 passes for 2,017 yards in his four seasons with Tennessee. He had a career-best 56 catches for 560 yards receiving. Cross is a highly productive box safety who has accounted for 266 tackles over the last two seasons.
-Green Bay Packers add pieces up front by agreeing to deals with veteran defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and defensive lineman Jonathan Ford. Hargrave collected 52 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 16 games last season with Minnesota. His deal will bring him $13 million in 2026 and up to $23 million over the total two-year contract. Ford made one appearance with the Packers in 2025.
-Atlanta Falcons agreed on a one-year contract with EDGE Azeez Ojulari coming off his 2025 with the Philadelphia Eagles.
-TE Jake Tonges had a breakout season for the San Francisco 49ers as a reserve tight end. He came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Chicago and spent time on the 49ers’ practice squad. He played in 17 games in 2025 and made two starts. George Kittle suffered an Achilles injury giving San Francisco some insurance by securing Tonges to a two-year, $8-million deal.
-QB Jake Browning and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed to a one-year deal that will bring the free agent in from Cincinnati. Browning played in five games last season and passed for 771 yards and 6 touchdowns.
-Seattle Seahawks tendered restricted free agent receiver Jake Bobo worth $3.52 million.
-Buffalo Bills and former Miami Dolphins edge rusher Bradley Chubb agree to a significant three-year, $43.5-million deal that will bring him $29 million in guaranteed money. Chubb was released earlier in the day by the Dolphins allowing the Bills to sign him. The 2018 No. 5 pick was top 20 in the league with 8.5 sacks in 2025 to go with 47 tackles and 2 forced fumbles. He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Denver Broncos.
-Miami Dolphins and defensive back Lonnie Johnson Jr. agreed to a one-year deal. The former second-round pick began his career with Houston and played in nine games with the Raiders in 2025.
-Arizona Cardinals signed safety Andrew Wingard to a one-year deal worth as much as $4 million. He has spent all seven seasons of his career with Jacksonville. Wingard collected 84 tackles and pulled in 1 interception across 16 games in 2025.
-With Travis Etienne headed to New Orleans, Jacksonville agreed to a two-year, $10-million deal with former Washington running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. The 2023 sixth-round pick rushed for 500 yards and 6 touchdowns with the Commanders in 2025. He will play alongside Bhayshul Tuten in the Jaguars’ backfield.
-Dallas Cowboys trade away two defensive line pieces by shipping DT Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers and Solomon Thomas to the Titans. San Francisco will send back third-round pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. Tennessee is trading a seventh-round selection in exchange for Thomas. Odighizuwa played in 17 games last season and collected 44 tackles plus 3.5 sacks. Meanwhile, Thomas collected 27 tackles in 16 games with Dallas. He will reunite with former Jets and 49ers coach Robert Saleh.
-After being released by Carolina, defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson is staying in the NFC South after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Buccaneers. Robinson’s deal with Tampa Bay will be fully guaranteed at $10 million according to Ian Rapoport. A former second-round pick, Robinson began his career in Detroit with stops with the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants.
-Washington Commanders agreed to a one-year deal with DE Charles Omenihu. The former 2019 fifth-round pick began his career in Houston and is coming off one of his most productive seasons. Omenihu tied a career high with 28 tackles to go with 3.5 sacks last season in Kansas City. His deal with the Commanders will bring him up to $7 million according to Schefter.
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