NFL Free Agency is off and running in a big way. The first day of the “legal tampering” period has predictably seen a flurry of signings as teams around the league attempt to plug gaps in their rosters.
And amid the glut of high-profile deals, there have been several unexpected developments that could have a significant influence on the remainder of the offseason and the 2026 campaign. Here are the biggest surprises so far.
Jaelen Phillips Signs Four-Year, $120 million Deal with Panthers
There was hope in Philadelphia that the Eagles would be able to hang on to Jaelen Phillips after acquiring him from the Dolphins last season.
That optimism may have been grounded in Phillips’ excitement upon joining Philadelphia back in November.
At that point, Phillips labeled his trade from Miami “literally the greatest thing that has happened to me in my whole life, probably.”
Despite their wild-card round exit last season, the Eagles would have given Phillips a better shot at competing for a title this year than the ascending Panthers. However, money talks, and the amount the Panthers offered was clearly enough for him to put how he felt about Philadelphia to one side.
It’s a great coup for the Panthers and leaves the Eagles going back to the drawing board at edge rusher.
The Falcons Agree One-Year Deal with Tua Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa to the Falcons makes sense in terms of fit, with the former Dolphins quarterback landing in a Shanahan-adjacent offense that plays to his strengths.
The surprise lies in the fact that the Falcons were willing to take the bet on Tagovailoa, given his injury history.
Atlanta is heading into the 2026 season with Michael Penix Jr. coming off a partially torn ACL. A quarterback with Tagovailoa’s lack of durability hardly represents a sound insurance policy. As such, this move raises eyebrows.
The Bengals Make Two Splashes
Free agency and the Bengals typically don’t go together, but Cincinnati has enjoyed a surprisingly busy start to the negotiating window with two splash signings.
The Bengals landed one of the top safeties on the market in Bryan Cook, who agreed to a three-year, $40 million deal, and added Boye Mafe to the defensive front.
Mafe moves to the Bengals on a three-year, $60 million deal after aiding the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl push and will fill the void left by Trey Hendrickson.
Though he only had 2 sacks for the Seahawks last season, Mafe offers tremendous explosiveness off the edge, while Cook brings downhill thump and should drastically improve the Bengals’ tackling in the secondary.
The Bengals were anything but cheap on Day 1 of the negotiating window, and their defense should be better for it.
The Seahawks Retain Josh Jobe for a Reasonable Price
Cornerbacks have cashed in around the league during the opening hours of free agency, making the price the Seahawks paid to retain Jobe all the more surprising.
Seattle brought back Jobe on a three-year, $24 million contract, a deal that could soon prove to be a steal if he continues on his current trajectory.
Jobe ranked No. 26 of 128 corners in PFSN’s CB Impact Metric in 2025 after racking up 9 pass breakups and recording 1 interception.
He allowed a catch rate of only 49.5 percent and surrendered just 5.7 yards per target, both career bests for the Alabama product. On a day that saw the Seahawks lose a key piece of their secondary in Coby Bryant, retaining Jobe for an eminently reasonable price looks like a very astute move by the Super Bowl champions.
The 49ers Make Long-Term Mike Evans Bet
Mike Evans will head to the Hall of Fame, but it is curious that the 49ers were willing to give him a three-year, $60.4 million deal coming off a hamstring injury that cost him most of his final season with the Buccaneers.
The caveat is that the full details of the contract have not been revealed, and the 49ers will likely be able to get out of the deal early if necessary. Indeed, there’s a strong chance the addition of the third year is a way for the 49ers to manipulate the salary cap.
Still, a multi-year investment in Evans at age 32 represents a risk, albeit one that makes sense given San Francisco’s needs at receiver.
Evans gives the 49ers a ball-winner on the outside who is a dominant force in the red zone. Provided he stays healthy, Brock Purdy will be delighted to have Evans as part of the offense.
