The 2025 NFL season is complete and 31 teams are looking to improve in 2026. Franchises can tinker with their rosters in multiple ways and free agency is one of them.
Super Bowl 60 featured two teams that used free agency well to push for a title in 2025. The New England Patriots spent more money in free agency last offseason than any other team in the NFL, per Spotrac. New England spent nearly $100 million more than the next team on 19 contracts to fill out their roster on offense and defense.
Seattle wasn't far behind. The Seahawks spent the fourth-most money in free agency with $205 million in total contract value handed out to their signees. Arguably the biggest of which was quarterback Sam Darnold who helped the offense push the team to a Super Bowl victory.
Entering the 2026 offseason, there are more players available for signing once again. All-Pros like wide receiver George Pickens and defensive end Trey Hendrickson as well as Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum could get a big payday on the open market.
But which teams can pay them?
The landscape looks a little different than last offseason. Teams in the AFC dominate the top of the cap space hierarchy. Could we see another Patriots-esque turnaround powered by smart spending on proven veterans?
Here's how the league-wide picture looks when it comes to cap space for all teams:
NFL cap space rankings
Data from OverTheCap as of Feb. 18.
- Tennessee Titans: $103.50 million
- Las Vegas Raiders: $91.52 million
- Los Angeles Chargers: $82.94 million
- New York Jets: $79.34 million
- Washington Commanders: $74.55 million
- Seattle Seahawks: $61.88 million
- Cincinnati Bengals: $53.49 million
- Los Angeles Rams: $44.94 million
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $44.94 million
- San Francisco 49ers: $41.87 million
- New England Patriots: $40.56 million
- Arizona Cardinals: $39.18 million
- Indianapolis Colts: $35.71 million
- Denver Broncos: $28.88 million
- Atlanta Falcons: $26.46 million
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $23.94 million
- Baltimore Ravens: $22.04 million
- Philadelphia Eagles: $18.15 million
- Carolina Panthers: $12.95 million
- New York Giants: $5.14 million
- Cleveland Browns: $3.21 million
- Miami Dolphins: $3.18 million
- Green Bay Packers: -$1.58 million
- Houston Texans: -$4.72 million
- Chicago Bears: -$5.30 million
- New Orleans Saints: -$7.53 million
- Detroit Lions: -$9.92 million
- Kansas City Chiefs: -$11.35 million
- Buffalo Bills: -$12.34 million
- Jacksonville Jaguars: -$13.04 million
- Dallas Cowboys: -$30.17 million
- Minnesota Vikings: -$43.20 million
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL teams ranked by cap space: Titans on top entering 2026 free agency