The Best Player Every NFL Team Regrets Letting Go in 2026 FA (You’ll Disagree)

Free agency is a tricky time of year… it is challenging for front offices when their hopes meet reality, and they need to find a way to fill all the holes on their NFL teams and keep their current talent in place. So every offseason we see good players leave, at times, good teams, for one reason or another—and in some cases, they end up being the kind of moves that haunt a front office for years. Let’s run through all 32 teams and break down the players that they absolutely shouldn’t have let walk in the 2026 free agency period. Which players for each NFL team should have stayed in free agency? Arizona Cardinals: Calais Campbell, DLNov 9, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Calais Campbell (93) looks on before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images Campbell is 39 years old and came back to Arizona in 2025 to finish his career where it started… And the man was still producing at a rotational level most 30-year-olds would envy.  His contract expired, and while retirement remains on the table, most analysts around the league expect him to lace them up for another year… but Arizona missed the boat on bringing him back. Which is a shame because he could have been a big piece for them in the rebuild post Kyler Murray. Atlanta Falcons: Leonard Floyd, EdgeDec 21, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive end Leonard Floyd (56) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Floyd was a reliable edge presence for the Falcons—a veteran who could set the edge, generate a pass rush, and give a young defense the structure it needed.  And it is safe to assume that his downturn in production was a result of the Falcons’ team struggles more than anything. Letting a veteran edge rusher of his caliber leave when your NFL team is still trying to establish an identity is a bigger mistake than it looks. Baltimore Ravens: Tyler Linderbaum, CJun 10, 2025; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum (64) looks on during an NFL OTA at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images This one still stings… Linderbaum made three straight Pro Bowls, anchoring the Ravens’ interior line, and Baltimore declined his fifth-year option rather than pay him market rate because of the myth of positional value. The Raiders blew the entire center market apart with a three-year, $81 million deal—$27 million per year, nine million more annually than the previous record. The Ravens reportedly offered $22 million annually… Which is… just $1million more. Considering the window that they are trying to capitalize on, maybe they should have exercised the option and tried to figure out the long-term deal down the road! Buffalo Bills: Tre'Davious White, CBBuffalo Bills cornerback Tre’davious White (27) celebrates the game-deciding interception during the fourth quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] White posted 40 tackles and a team-high 10 passes defensed, his best mark since 2020, and by the back half of the season, analysts were noting he resembled the cornerback who was one of the best in football before his ACL tear. The Bills are already thin in the secondary after losing Taron Johnson, Darius Slay, and Jordan Poyer this offseason… maybe they should’ve tried to bring the vet back into the fold for one more year instead of asking a group of unproven corners to hold up behind a defense that needs to be elite if this NFL team is going to finally get over the hump. Carolina Panthers: Rico Dowdle, RBNov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) during player introductions at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Dowdle finished 2025 with 1,076 yards on the ground and was the engine that kept the offense moving and this team relevant in the back half of the year. His production gave Bryce Young a legitimate running game to lean on, and when you have a young quarterback still finding his footing, a ball carrier who takes pressure off your passing game is worth more than the raw stats suggest. Chicago Bears: Nahshon Wright, CBChicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright (26) throws the game ball into the crowd as Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (9) reacts to losing the game at the end of their wild-card playoff football game Saturday, January 10, 2026, at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. Wright picked off five passes in 2025. He’s 26 years old. And the Bears just let him walk to the Jets on a one-year, $5.5 million deal. That’s not a market-breaking number — that’s a number that his NFL team could have matched without blinking.  Have to wonder what they were thinking on this one. Cincinnati Bengals: Joseph Ossai, DENov 3, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai (58) runs onto the field before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Ossai joined the Jets on a three-year, $36 million contract, meaning Cincinnati is now rolling with Boye Mafe, Myles Murphy, and Shemar Stewart at defensive end. Mafe is the only proven one in that group, and he’s never cracked six sacks in a season. Not exactly a group that instills hope that a defensive revival is in the making. Cleveland Browns: Devin Bush, LBDevin Bush (Ken Blaze-Imagn Images) Bush came to Cleveland on cheap one-year prove-it deals two straight years and turned his career completely around. In 2025, he started all 17 games, posted a career-high 125 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and three interceptions. That’s not a depth piece. That’s an NFL starter playing at an All-Pro level for a team that was paying him almost nothing. Chicago saw it, signed him to a three-year, $30 million deal with $21 million guaranteed, and now Cleveland is starting over at the position. Dallas Cowboys: Jadeveon Clowney, DENov 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (42) celebrates after he sacks Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Say what you will about Jadeveon Clowney, but he still led the Cowboys with 8.5 sacks in 2025 at age 32.  Now he’s expected to leave as a free agent, and Dallas hasn’t replaced him with anyone. Here’s the thing about Clowney — everybody forgets about him in March, and then he goes out and puts up numbers every year.  Dallas is going to be hurting without him, as that defense really left a lot to be desired. Denver Broncos: Dre Greenlaw, LBSep 21, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) on the sidelines prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Greenlaw was brought to Denver last offseason specifically to bring championship experience into that building… and now they were a healthy Bo Nix away from a Super Bowl in January… That window is open right now—and you have to think this team will be kicking themselves come playoffs next year without an NFL player of his pedigree. Detroit Lions: Alex Anzalone, LBDetroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone celebrates a tackle against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. Tampa Bay signed Anzalone to a two-year, $17 million deal that Detroit apparently wasn’t interested in matching. The Lions are betting their younger linebackers can step up… and maybe they can. But Anzalone was the guy who understood Dan Campbell’s defense from the inside, including the communication at the second level, the disguise work before the snap, and the situational awareness in late-game situations. That’s not something you replace by plugging in whoever is next on the depth chart. Green Bay Packers: Romeo Doubs, WRGreen Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) flashes a heart with his hands to the fans as he walks off the field after defeating the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 13, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won the game, 34-13 Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Doubs signed with New England and now gives Drake Maye a legitimate option underneath… Good for the Patriots… But for the Packers, that’s a problem. Jordan Love needs weapons to throw the ball to, and instead of adding to their already thin wide receiver room, they are bleeding talent. Houston Texans: Tim Settle, DTOct 20, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Houston Texans defensive tackle Tim Settle (98) warms up before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images Settle left for Washington on a three-year, $25.5 million deal, and to say that Houston will be missing him this year is an understatement. Losing a proven interior piece on defense at the same time means this roster is in transition on both sides of the ball simultaneously. Settle wasn’t flashy. He ate blocks, stayed in his lane, and let Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter do their thing. That kind of player is harder to replace for an NFL team than the contract suggests. Indianapolis Colts: Kwity Paye, DEDec 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive end Kwity Paye (51) looks on before a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images Paye signed with the Las Vegas Raiders on a three-year, $48 million deal after posting at least four sacks in each of his five NFL seasons, including two years over eight for his previous team. He was the best edge rusher on this roster, and Indianapolis let him walk. The Colts are now piecing together a pass rush to forge their way back towards relevance. Jacksonville Jaguars: Travis Etienne, RBDec 29, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) runs the ball against the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images Etienne ran for over 1,000 yards in three of his four seasons in Jacksonville, set a career high with 13 touchdowns in 2025, and was the most complete offensive player on this roster. The Saints made him an offer Jacksonville couldn’t… or wouldn’t match. Losing your best offensive weapon while the front office counts future draft slots isn’t the message you want to send to a locker room that already had questions about where this franchise is heading. Kansas City Chiefs: Jawaan Taylor, OTAug 9, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor (74) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Taylor’s $27.3 million cap hit made this a financial necessity, and Kansas City released him on March 4 to clear the space. He was their starting right tackle for three seasons, including a Super Bowl run. Now he’s a free agent, while Patrick Mahomes is rehabbing a torn ACL, and the Chiefs are rebuilding almost every other position on the roster at the same time. Not ideal! Las Vegas Raiders: Jamal Adams, SNov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Jamal Adams (33) practices before the game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Adams hasn’t been the player he was in New York in years. Multiple knee surgeries, diminishing production — the Raiders knew what they were getting and made the bet anyway… and the output was better than expected. It feels like a safe conclusion that Vegas could have brought him back on a modest 1- or 2-year deal and gotten a lot of value from his skill set and veteran presence. Los Angeles Chargers: Odafe Oweh, EdgeDec 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Odafe Oweh (98) celebrates a sack against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Oweh broke out in the second half of 2025 and signed a four-year, $100 million deal with Washington. The Chargers watched that happen without matching it, and now they have a hole at edge rusher with no answer for it. Oweh is 26 years old and clearly figured out how to consistently win against NFL tackles, but now he’s going to hit his prime somewhere else.  Jim Harbaugh wants to go deep in the playoffs with Justin Herbert, but right now, that plan has a gap, as this NFL team still has some serious holes to plug. Los Angeles Rams: Tutu Atwell, WROct 2, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell (5) reacts against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images While he never turned into the regular big play guy that Los Angeles was hoping… Tutu Atwell was a nice player for them and filled an important role in this NFL team. The problem for the Rams is that they just lost the fastest receiver on their roster — the one guy who forced safeties to play deep. Without Atwell running past defensive backs, coverage rotations get simpler, defenders crowd the short-to-intermediate game, and Matthew Stafford’s job gets harder. Miami Dolphins: Tyreek Hill, WRDec 8, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) looks on after making a catch against the New York Jets during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Hill tore his ACL in Week 4 last season and was done. Before that, the production had already started sliding. Now, the new front office looked at a $51 million cap hit, $16 million about to trigger in guaranteed money, a 32-year-old coming off a torn ACL… and made what was probably the financially correct decision. But that doesn’t make it any less painful for the Dolphins fans. Minnesota Vikings: Jalen Nailor, WRMinnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor (83) celebrates scoring a touchdown with teamates during their football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, December 29, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Nailor signed with the Raiders for three years and $35 million with $25 million guaranteed after three years operating in the shadows of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, quietly doing the work — taking the tough assignments, winning on underneath routes, making third-down catches when the defense had the Vikings’ top options blanketed. Casual NFL fans may not expect it, but this team will miss him big time next year. New England Patriots: Stefon Diggs, WRStefon Diggs. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Diggs was a big part of a Super Bowl run in New England last year… but that didn’t stop Vrabel from releasing him this offseason. At 32, with a sizable cap hit and a history of making things difficult wherever he’s been, this wasn’t a shocking call. But releasing a player of this caliber without a clear plan for who fills that role is the kind of move that could just show up on third and eight in November. New Orleans Saints: Alontae Taylor, CBJun 10, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor (1) looks on during minicamp at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images The Saints are already in a difficult spot, and losing Taylor made it considerably more difficult. He signed with Tennessee for three years and $60 million — and this wasn’t a surprise departure; it was a talent drain for an NFL team that is desperate to be competitive again. New York Giants: Wan'Dale Robinson, WRNov 23, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (17) runs upfield after catching a swing pass in the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Four years, $78 million with the Titans. Gone. Big Blue said that it didn’t fit the budget for a team still rebuilding, and the cap logic makes sense on paper. The Giants have been reconstructing this receiver room for a decade without solving it. Nothing about this offseason suggests that’s about to change. New York Jets: Quincy Williams, LBNew York Jets linebacker Quincy Williams (56) drops back on defense during an NFL Week 10 game between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. 2023 wasn’t that long ago… When Williams posted 139 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 10 passes defensed and was legitimately one of the best linebackers in football. Then 2025 happened. Shoulder injury, hand injury, a brief benching, his brother Quinnen traded to Dallas mid-season… the whole thing unraveled. His coverage numbers were a disaster, and the Jets moved on. Cleveland saw a different story, though — two years, $17 million for a guy who, in the right scheme, has proven he can be an All-Pro for an NFL team. New York may regret this one… but what else is new?! Philadelphia Eagles: Jaelan Phillips, EdgeNov 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jaelan Phillips (50) reacts after the game against the Detroit Lions at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images It feels like every offseason the Eagles roster gets picked apart, and this year was no different, as Philly lost their best pass rusher. Phillips signed the richest edge contract in the entire offseason — four years, $120 million with Carolina. Cap constraints are real, sure. So is the gap between Phillips and whoever lines up in his spot Week 1.  Pittsburgh Steelers: Isaac Seumalo, OGNov 2, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers guard Isaac Seumalo warms up foe a game against the Indianapolis Colts.at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images Isaac Seumalo quietly anchored Pittsburgh’s offensive line through a season where protecting the quarterback position was an absolute must—and he did a heck of a job. Pittsburgh has paid a lot of attention to its skill position players this offseason, but if the line in front of them is a real problem, none of those additions will matter. San Francisco 49ers: Jauan Jennings, WRJan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (15) reacts in front of Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean (33) after a first down catch in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images In 2025, with the slew of injuries on the roster, Jennings was the 49ers’ offense. Fifty-five catches, 643 yards, nine touchdowns — team-high. And he did it playing through broken ribs and both high and low ankle sprains simultaneously. Losing him is going to be a bigger problem for this NFL team than most people think. Seattle Seahawks: Kenneth Walker III, RBNov 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs the ball against Los Angeles Rams safety Kam Curl (3) during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Well—this was an easy one… Seattle lost the Super Bowl LX MVP. Over 1,400 yards in 2025 and 5he engine of the entire offense on the biggest stage in the sport. And Seattle didn’t pay him. Time will tell how big a mistake that was! Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Evans, WRMike Evans (Photo By Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images) Twelve seasons. Eleven straight 1,000-yard years — tied with Jerry Rice for the all-time record. The face of the franchise through everything that happened post-Brady. And Evans signed with San Francisco because he looked at this roster and decided Tampa wasn’t going to give him a real shot at a ring. Ouch. Tennessee Titans: L'Jarius Sneed, CBTennessee Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (38) heads off the field after a goal-line stop against the p/ during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. Four years, $76.4 million. Two seasons. Zero interceptions. That’s what the Sneed experiment cost this franchise. He played 12 games, needed knee and quad surgeries, and the Titans released him to clear $11.4 million in cap space. Letting him go was the right call… There was nothing else to do… but it still hurts! Washington Commanders: Deebo Samuel, WRSep 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel (1) shown on the field during the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Last season was a disaster, and shockingly, Deebo was one of the few guys who showed up anyway, quietly putting up 72 catches, 727 yards, and five touchdowns. That’s one of the steals of the 2025 offseason… and now the Commanders are letting him walk.