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NFL free agency tracker 2026: News, rumors, trade buzz on Tuesday
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- NFL free agency tracker 2026: News, rumors, trade buzz on Tuesday
NFL free agency is off to a rousing start, even if it hasn't yet officially begun in earnest.
Monday's opening of the league's negotiating window brought about a slew of moves, with the overwhelming majority of top-tier players on the open market settling on their landing spots. But more than a handful of big names still have yet to make up their minds on their destinations, which means Tuesday could still be a busy day.
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USA TODAY Sports will have updates and analysis on all the most notable moves throughout the day, so check back often for all the latest news:
Commanders keep spending on defense with LB Leo Chenal
Odafe Oweh wasn't the only notable addition to the Washington Commanders' defense early in free agency.
The team on Tuesday added linebacker Leo Chenal on a three-year, $24.75 million deal, according to multiple reports.
Chenal started 36 games for the Chiefs in the last three years, collecting 183 tackles and six sacks during that time.
He becomes the latest notable defensive player to depart Kansas City this offseason, following cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson and safety Bryan Cook out the door.
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Saints welcome back Kaden Elliss
Kaden Elliss is returning to the team with which he started his NFL career.
The former Atlanta Falcons linebacker is headed back to the New Orleans Saints on a three-year, $33 million deal, according to multiple reports.
Elliss, 30, was selected by the Saints in the seventh round of the 2019 draft, but he joined the Falcons in 2023 on a three-year, $21.5 million deal. He was Atlanta's leading tackler for the last two seasons.
In New Orleans, he'll help fill a void at the second level after veteran Demario Davis left to join the New York Jets .
CB Riq Woolen links up with another leading NFC contender
Fresh off his Super Bowl win with the Seattle Seahawks , Riq Woolen is headed to another aspiring NFC contender.
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The cornerback is signing a one-year, $15 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles , according to multiple reports.
The former Pro Bowl selection in 2022 joins a talented secondary featuring All-Pros Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean . He allowed the fewest yards per target while playing man coverage (2.7) of any cornerback with at least 20 targets this year, according to Next Gen Stats.
He marks the second notable loss in the secondary for Seattle, which also saw safety Coby Bryant head to the Chicago Bears on a three-year deal. The Seahawks did, however, re-sign cornerback Josh Jobe on Monday.
Browns build up offensive line with another pick-up
The Cleveland Browns continue to put their offensive line plan in place.
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On Tuesday, the team reached a two-year deal with two-time Pro Bowl interior lineman Elgton Jenkins , according to multiple reports.
Jenkins, who was released by the Packers on Monday in a cost-cutting move, has experience playing in several different spots along the front. He moved from guard to center last season before being lost for the year to a fractured ankle.
He's the fourth notable move on a Cleveland front facing a significant shift in 2026. The team traded for right tackle Tytus Howard before handing him a sizable extension, and it signed offensive guard Zion Johnson to a three-year, $49.5 million deal. The Browns also on Tuesday re-signed offensive guard on Tuesday.
Jets add playmaker to secondary in Nahshon Wright
After being held without an interception for all of 2025, the New York Jets are making changes to tap into a playmaking streak for their secondary.
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The team on Tuesday agreed to a one-year, $5.5 million deal with former Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright, according to multiple reports.
Wright recorded five interceptions last season in a breakout campaign that saw him be selected as a Pro Bowl alternate. But he had an overall rocky year in coverage, surrendering more yards (696) last season than all but five other cornerbacks, according to Next Gen Stats.
The addition comes one day after the Jets traded for five-time Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick .
Patriots get help for Drake Maye with WR Romeo Doubs
The New England Patriots have made their highly anticipated addition at wide receiver.
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Romeo Doubs is joining the team on a four-year deal worth approximately $70 million, according to multiple reports.
The move comes in the wake of New England last week releasing Stefon Diggs and then missing out Monday on Alec Pierce , who re-signed with the Indianapolis Colts .
Doubs, who turns 26 in April, goes from being part of a wide receiver platoon with the Green Bay Packers to potentially being the featured player in New England. He caught 55 passes for 724 yards and six touchdowns last season but should be in for a much heavier target share as a go-to threat for NFL MVP runner-up Drake Maye.
Geno Smith heading back to Jets
Geno Smith's nomadic existence as a quarterback has led him back to the starting point of his NFL career.
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The New York Jets agreed to a trade Tuesday to acquire the veteran quarterback from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a late-round pick swap, according to multiple reports. Smith also agreed to a revised contract, with the Raiders paying the bulk of it and the Jets forking over the veteran minimum.
Smith, 35, returns to the organization that selected him in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He started for New York for two years before a teammate's punch sidelined him with a broken jaw, costing him his QB1 standing.
Texans look to AFC South foe for help along offensive line
The reinforcements are arriving for the Houston Texans' embattled line.
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The Texans reached a two-year, $20 million deal with former Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Braden Smith .
Smith, who turns 30 this month, helps stabilize a front that lost Tytus Howard and Juice Scruggs to trades earlier in the offseason.
Lions bolster backfield with RB Isiah Pacheco
The Detroit Lions have their hard-charging complement to Jahmyr Gibbs .
Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco is signing with the team, according to multiple reports.
Pacheco looks bound to spell Gibbs in the Lions offense after Detroit last week traded veteran ball carrier David Montgomery to the Houston Texans.
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Pacheco, 27, has been slowed by injuries the last two years, playing in just 20 games during that span while averaging less than 4 yards per carry in each of his previous two campaigns.
Bills give new deal to TE Dawson Knox
The Buffalo Bills are affording themselves some needed cap flexibility with a new deal for a key contributor.
Tight end Dawson Knox agreed to a new three-year contract with the team on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.
Knox had been set to count more than $17 million against the cap in 2026, the final year of his previous deal. With Buffalo entering Tuesday more than $13 million over the cap and needing to be compliant by the start of the league year on Wednesday, the move allows the team to realign its books in the short term.
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Knox, 29, had 36 catches for 417 yards and four touchdowns last season.
Giants fill hole at CB with Greg Newsome II
The New York Giants were plenty busy on Monday, adding the likes of linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and tight end Isaiah Likely while also re-signing right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor . But the team also lost cornerback Cor'Dale Flott to the Tennessee Titans , creating greater uncertainty at an already shaky spot.
On Tuesday, however, the team found additional support at the position with Greg Newsome II, who agreed to a one-year deal with the team, according to multiple reports.
Newsome was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars last year and largely struggled, allowing a 104.9 passer rating when targeted in coverage. But the former first rounder could find a career reset in New York, where he could be utilized in press coverage more frequently.
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Packers add help on defense with Benjamin St-Juste
After a quiet initial foray into free agency, the Green Bay Packers are starting to take action.
Green Bay on Tuesday agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with cornerback Benjamin St-Juste, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.
A tally and rangy corner at 6-3 and 200 pounds, St-Juste helps round out a Packers secondary with entrenched starters at cornerback in Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine .
Meanwhile, fellow cornerback Nate Hobbs is being released just one year into a four-year deal, according to multiple reports.
Patriots bring on Alijah Vera-Tucker to help reshuffled line
The New England Patriots identified a key puzzle piece that could help them settle their tumultuous outlook up front.
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The team struck an agreement with former New York Jets offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker to a three-year, $42 million deal.
Vera-Tucker, who missed all of last season due to a torn triceps injury, projects as a critical figure in the protection of NFL MVP runner-up finisher Drake Maye. With the quarterback taking 21 sacks in four playoff games, including six in Super Bowl 60, New England was in the market for an additional asset to bolster its front.
Vera-Tucker figures to step in at left guard, where he can serve as a buffer between left tackle Will Campbell and center Jared Wilson as they enter their second seasons. Wilson played at left guard as a rookie, and the pair lining up next to each other created some complications for the Patriots' line.
Chiefs address depleted secondary with Alohi Gilman
The opening to NFL free agency saw a bulk of the Kansas City Chiefs' starting secondary heading elsewhere. At the end of the first wave of moves, however, the team did manage to reload a bit.
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The Chiefs agreed to a three-year, $24.75 million contract, according to multiple reports.
Gilman helps replace Bryan Cook, who left to join the Cincinnati Bengals on a three-year, $40.25 million deal. The Chiefs also lost starting cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to the Los Angeles Rams , with the latter being sent to the team via a trade.
NFL free agency's best players available: Which top options are left?
The first wave of free agency claimed a good portion of the league's top talent. But several big names still have yet to settle on a landing spot. Here are the best players available, as ranked by USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis (initial top 100 ranking in parentheses):
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1. Trey Hendrickson , OLB/DE (4)
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2. Rasheed Walker , OT (9)
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3. Kyler Murray , QB (13)
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4. Jauan Jennings , WR (19)
When does NFL free agency start?
In practical terms, the deals are already flying - though all of them are unofficial until the new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. That's a reflection of the league's negotiating window, which opened at noon ET on Monday and allows unrestricted free agents to enter into agreements with other clubs.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL free agency tracker 2026: News, rumors, trade buzz on Tuesday
