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The move will be made on the first day of the 2026 NFL calendar year, according to Cunningham. This was all but confirmed last month when Cousins and the Falcons agreed to a contract modification that guaranteed he’d be gone ahead of the 2026 season. Cousins, 37, should see some interest from quarterback-needy teams in the coming months. Last year Cousins had a career-low 6.3 adjusted yards per attempt and 44.3 percent drop back success rate in five appearances (three starts) for the Falcons.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the deal has a max value of $15 million. 36-year-old Kelce has been declining for several years now, but he was still fourth in tight end yardage (851) last season. He was a more distant 21st in TE yards per route run at 1.47. Kelce appeared particularly dead-legged at the end of the Chiefs’ trying season. He is best utilized as a third down/red zone package player at this point, something coach Andy Reid undoubtedly already knows. Kelce will keep hanging around the TE1 ranks in fantasy, but probably more in the TE8-12 range than TE5-8.

The financials were not immediately made available. The seven-year veteran has made 18 starts across 85 appearances for the Broncos, Vikings, and Giants, tying a career high with four starts in New York in 2025. It’s a low-risk, moderate-reward move for a franchise in desperate need of depth up front.

Brooks was an ERFA, meaning his only choice was to come back to Atlanta if they chose to tender him. He appeared in all 17 games in 2025 and was credited with one start. Brooks broke up two passes and tallied 10 tackles while also picking up work on special teams.

Eluemunor’s market did not generate quite as he hoped it would, and in the end he settles for the low end of Dan Duggan’s $13-18MM projection. It’s a good keep for the Giants, as Eluemunor has provided steady-if-not-spectacular line play over his two-year contract with them. Entering his age-32 season, the Giants will likely start trying to find succession plans in the next year or so.

A former undrafted free agent who joined the Falcons in 2022, Alford has started 23 of the 64 games he has played in for his career and registered a career-high three interceptions and 13 pass breakups last season. Alford has played almost exclusively as a slot corner since entering the league, and will replace Taron Johnson, who they recently traded to the Raiders in exchange for a late draft pick. His new deal includes $10.12 million in guaranteed money.

Settle was enjoying a great season for the Texans in 2025 before suffering a Lisfranc injury in December. This is a strong commitment in light of that fact, and Settle may be rehabbing for most of the offseason. Settle had a career-high 78.0 PFF pass rush grade for the Texans in 2025 and returns to the team that drafted him in 2018.

Uncle Rico lands on his feet in Arizona with a chance to compete for the starting quarterback job with incumbent Jacoby Brissett during camp and preseason. The $8.25 million contract is far from “starter money,” but is still more than the average annual value of Brissett, making it likely the franchise is headed for a positional battle this offseason in the wake of Kyler Murray’s departure. At bare minimum, Minshew has proven to be a capable backup at the NFL level, having notched 47 starts across 63 appearances during his seven-year NFL career.

The deal includes $32 million in guaranteed money and helps the franchise fill the gaping void left in the wake of the Maxx Crosby trade to Baltimore. The five-year veteran played the entirety of his career to this point in Indianapolis, starting 74 games while registering 209 tackles, 37 tackles for loss, and 50 quarterback hits. The Raiders remain busy in free agency through the first five hours.

On the same day he learned he would be released by the Dolphins, Tagovailoa now lands in Atlanta on a one-year deal for a minimum salary. The former No. 5 overall pick will be in a prove-it year with the Falcons and head coach Kevin Stefanski, who inherited a tough situation at quarterback with Michael Penix (knee) unlikely to be ready for the start of the season and Kirk Cousins expected to be release. Assuming he’s the Falcons’ starter for Week 1, Tagovailoa will likely get every chance he can to prove he’s the guy for the job in the long haul, but we wouldn’t expect him to start all 17 games even if healthy. Pressure will mount as Penix nears a return and unless Tua is playing well above expectations, Stefanski will likely pivot back to Penix for a look at some point.

Garcia was signed from the Giants’ practice squad in November last season and now appears to be in line to play for a new contract with the Falcons after the team exercised their tender on the six-year veteran. Having started only three games across 17 appearances at the professional level, Garcia likely requires multiple injuries ahead of him to make a significant impact in 2026.