After the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl LX, the Winter Olympic events in Milan and Cortina, and the first few Nascar races, sports fans all over America have their bellies full with entertainment. Luckily, the NFL is coming with the next course of the 2026 season with the highly anticipated and chaotic free agency period beginning on March 11 at 1 PM PT. 

From the Super Bowl-winning Seahawks, running back Kenneth Walker III expressed his desire to return to the Emerald City in a post-Super Bowl interview, “If it was my choice, though, I’d definitely stay”. The Seahawks would be smart to resign Walker, as he has performed well year after year since his rookie season in 2022. Picking up 3,555 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground without losing a single fumble over his whole career, “K9” Walker is a target for any franchise looking to create in the running game. Another player with Super Bowl experience is the future first-ballot Hall of Famer Travis Kelce. Through his illustrious 13-season career, the tight end has brought in 1080 passes for 13,002 yards and 82 touchdowns. This consistency has made Kelce the perfect safety blanket for Patrick Mahomes, contributing to the Kansas City Chiefs’ three Super Bowl wins from 2019 to 2023. Although Kelce has spent his whole career with the Chiefs, his outlook on returning is bleak. After an abysmal 6-11 record despite Kelce’s solid production with 851 receiving yards and five touchdowns, the 6’5” superstar may look elsewhere while Kansas City rebuilds. Some teams in the market for a franchise tight end are the New York Giants, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Another veteran with Super Bowl rings entering free agency is perhaps the most consistent wide receiver in NFL history, Mike Evans. Through 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Evans has topped 1,000 yards in every single season except for 2025. Evans’ 11-straight 1,000 yard seasons tied him for the record with Hall of Fame wideout Jerry Rice, widely considered to be the greatest receiver of all time. Although it would appear that Evans’ career is on the decline, only pulling in 30 balls for 368 yards and three touchdowns in his latest season, Evans suffered a brutal broken collarbone and concussion in week 7 against the Detroit Lions, putting a cap on his production. Luckily for Evans’ fans, the wideout’s sturdy 6’5”, 231-pound frame provides him a higher chance to bounce back from his gruesome injury as opposed to other players. If Evans does not decide to retire, teams looking for a top dog target are the division rival New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills, and Tennessee Titans. On the defensive side of the ball, Cincinnati’s beefy edge Trey Hendrickson looks to perform in a new jersey. Through nine seasons out of Florida Atlantic University, the 6’4” 265-pound 31-year-old pummeled quarterbacks with 81 sacks, 15 forced fumbles, and 16 defended passes, leading the league in 2024 with 17.5 sacks. Despite Hendrickson’s elite performance, the Bengals have ranked 31st in defensive scoring for the past two seasons. Unless the Bengals plan to do significant rebuilding, it would be likely that Hendrickson would move to a stronger defensive unit like the Eagles, Patriots, or division rival Browns. If Hendrickson chooses the latter, he would team up with two-time Defensive Player of the Year and single-season sack record holder Myles Garrett where the two would terrorize opposing backfields. 

During this exciting time in sports, the NFL falls to the back of many fans’ minds, but true fans are just as invested as they are in the middle of the season. Free agency signings have a direct correlation with making or breaking a season, and signing a single player can change the course of the league for decades. If you want to follow free agency, download the NFL app, make an account, and select your favorite team. You will be notified of every blockbuster signing and trade until the free agency deadline in April.