32 departures who could define the 2026 NFL season

The NFL is a league defined by parity. A hard salary cap means all 32 franchises have to prioritize their spending. It also means saying goodbye to key contributors when their contract demands outstrip their team's budget restrictions.

Every team has at least one notable hole to fill in 2026, whether that's from aging veterans, stars who priced themselves out of a locker room or coaching staffs that didn't work out. Some of them will be filled effectively, keeping playoff teams on the road to the Super Bowl or helping set the foundation for a revival. Others will be mortal wounds that chase these rosters to the top of the 2027 NFL Draft.

Let's look at each team and see if we can't single out the losses that loomed largest this offseason — and whether they'll play a role in their 2026.

The 40-year-old didn't fit with Arizona's rebuild, but his veteran leadership could be missed on a roster with multiple rising young talents in the trenches. Both Walter Nolen and Darius Robinson are recent first round picks with room to grow. Campbell's presence could have helped a coaching staff short on established names.

Swapping out Elijah Wilkinson for Jawaan Taylor at right tackle — blind side for Atlanta's lefty QBs — is effectively sending an undercooked meal back to the kitchen in exchange for a burnt one. But losing Elliss, Ruke Orhorhoro and Leonard Floyd takes away three of the team's most effective pass rushers (in terms of pressure rate) leading into a season where James Pearce will serve an eight-game suspension after being charged with domestic abuse.

Jalon Walker's season-ending preseason injury doesn't help either. 2025 saw an often toothless pass rush rise up to second in the NFL with 57 sacks. Replicating that will be difficult.

The Ravens lost a handful of key blockers, including the occasionally frustrating Daniel Faalele and run-blocking specialist tight end Charlie Kolar. None had a greater impact on the offense than Linderbaum, whom the Ravens hoped to re-sign this spring only for the Las Vegas Raiders to jump in and completely reset the center market by offering him $27 million annually. While his blocking in both phases of the game was an obvious strength, his ability to diagnose defenses pre-snap could have a quieter, but similarly important, effect on how Jesse Minter's first offense as head coach looks.

Bills leadership decided good was the enemy of great and fired McDermott, who won nearly two-thirds of his regular season games as the team's head coach over the previous nine seasons (98-50). In his place is promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady, whose screen-heavy attack doesn't exactly inspire confidence. Brady's been blessed with some of the best quarterbacks in the world in his coaching career (Joe Burrow at LSU, Josh Allen in Buffalo) but has to prove he shaped their careers and not the other way around.

The long-tenured head coach worked wonders with the defense, crafting a top-five unit four of the last seven years. But that group backslid the last two seasons and the rise of the New England Patriots spurred a move that could either unlock a new level of play for the Bills or a whole lot of regret.

Carolina did strong work reinforcing its roster leading into the season that will ultimately decide whether the Bryce Young/Dave Canales era is worth sustaining. One potential weakness, however, lurks at running back. Dowdle remained found money in 2025, average 0.6 rush yards over expected (RYOE) per carry in a 1,000 yard campaign. Chuba Hubbard shared time with him and averaged -0.3 RYOE per touch.

Jonathon Brooks was a 2024 second round pick, but has nine below-average NFL handoffs to his credit in two seasons thanks to injury. Could Trevor Etienne, once healthy and back on the active roster, be the unlikely hero of this group?

The Chicago secondary is replacing three players who played at least 97 percent of its snaps as well as C.J. Gardner-Johnson. But while Robinson isn't a big loss on his own, he represents a missed opportunity to improve a position of need. The Bears' 31.6 percent pressure rate ranked 27th in the NFL last season . The team's 35 sacks were a bottom-10 number.

Robinson wouldn't have changed that, but the fact remains there isn't a new arrival who can be counted on to patch up a potentially fatal flaw. Chicago will rely on Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett to have bigger impacts in their second seasons with the team and Austin Booker and Shemar Turner to make leaps in their third and second NFL seasons, respectively.

Cincinnati Bengals: EDGE Trey Hendrickson

In 2024, Hendrickson's last dominant season, the Bengals had a 31.8 percent pressure rate and a 22 percent blitz rate — both 22nd-highest in the league . In 2025, where Hendrickson played only seven games due to injury and played well below his standard following an offseason contract debate, the team's pressure rate rose to 32.6 percent (still 22nd) while the blitz rate fell to 19.4 percent (31st). This, paired with significant veteran additions up front, provides hope Cincinnati can not only keep things together in a post-Hendrickson pass rush, but even emerge as an above-average unit.

The additions of Dexter Lawrence and Boye Mafe bring veteran experience up front. Three recent first or second round picks — Myles Murphy, Shemar Stewart and Cashius Howell — will work to revive the defense around them.

Jared Verse is a very good player who has the unenviable task of replacing one of the best sack artists in NFL history. Verse will now inherit Garrett's double-teams, as no full-time pass rusher on the roster last fall recorded a pressure rate above 10.4 percent.

It's still a key departure if the guy leaving makes you better on his way out. Eberflus was dealt a tough hand when Micah Parsons was traded before the 2025 season, but he took a bad Mike Zimmer defense (31st in points allowed) and somehow made it worse.

His inability to adjust from a rigid cover-two scheme left Dallas fitting square pegs into round holes for an undermanned unit. He couldn't work out how to mitigate a lack of pressure. He failed to divert responsibility from an ineffective linebacker corps. Many of those problems remain — why, again, did the team trade Osa Odighizuwa? — but now Christian Parker is tasked with building that group into something more than the sum of its parts.

Denver was arguably one injury away from a Super Bowl appearance and paying a quarterback on a rookie contract, so it largely kept the band together for 2026. Swapping out Joe Lombardi for Davis Webb at offensive coordinator could create issues, but Sean Payton's history suggests a smooth transition.

Instead, let's look at the underappreciated Franklin-Myers. The defensive lineman has been a consistent pressure generator from his end spot, and while his pressure rate dipped to a career-low 11 percent last season — still good! — his 7.5 sacks were third-most on the team. Can recent third round picks Tyler Onyedim and Sai'vion Jones fill the void he leaves?

Anzalone was a sigil of Detroit's rise under head coach Dan Campbell. A part-time starter in New Orleans, he arrived in 2021 and immediately stepped up his game. The off-ball linebacker provided the high leverage tackling expected (albeit with some inconsistency), but shined as a high motor pass deterrent who allowed a passer rating under 86 in four of his five seasons with Campbell. While newly extended Jack Campbell can fill some of the leadership void he leaves behind, an iffy cornerback rotation raises further questions about the Lions' coverage.

There have been several departures on the offensive side of the ball, from key wideouts (Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks) to key tailback depth (Emanuel Wilson). Walker didn't make the free agent splash expected after signing a one-year, $4 million deal with the Carolina Panthers, but Green Bay could still regret letting him walk.

His place at left tackle will be filled by 2024 first round pick Jordan Morgan, who was soundly underwhelming playing primarily as a guard in 2025. The Packers are optimistic enough about his future to let Walker, uh, walk… but the depth behind Walker and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele is limited.

Houston didn't lose much after a third-straight playoff appearance. It's made a heavy wager on yet another offensive line revamp, however. Former high value draft picks Howard and Juice Scruggs are out — the former was inconsistent and the latter generally failed to make a positive impact.

In their place are established veterans like Braden Smith and Wyatt Teller, two players on the wrong side of 30 who each missed at least four games in both 2024 and 2025. It's a change that had to be made, but one that could collapse inward at a key moment.

Indianapolis Colts: WR Michael Pittman Jr.

Was Pittman the spoon that stirred the drink in Indy? He was the team's second-most valuable receiver last fall, bouncing back from a subpar 2024 to provide a reliable mid-range presence who found space for easy gains. 2025 saw him lead all Colts non-running backs in average separation (3.0 yards) and catch rate (72 percent ). He was second only to Tyler Warren in terms of targets, which will leave Daniel Jones in search of a new safety valve when he returns from a torn Achilles.

Pittman was costly compared to his production, but his presence helped everyone else in the offense operate smoothly in space. Will his absence make life difficult enough to erase the gains we saw from Jones, Warren and Alec Pierce last fall? Can an aging Keenan Allen fill the role he left behind?

Losing Travis Etienne isn't ideal, but the Jaguars thrived despite a slightly below average run game last season (and Bhayshul Tuten is fun. Good? Maybe! Fun? Absolutely). Instead, let's look at a secondary that could be a heavyweight at corner (a full-time Travis Hunter and a better-than-you-think Montaric Brown) but has questions to answer at safety.

Wingard wasn't remarkable, but he was a reliable veteran presence who emerged as a starter over seven seasons as a pro and was a useful presence against the pass (a -4.9 percent catch rate over expected as the closest defender last fall). Eric Murray is 32 years old and facing an age cliff. Antonio Johnson was awesome in 2025, but had struggled a season before.

If Johnson's five-interception breakthrough is sustainable, Wingard will be reduced to a guy remembered across Duval County. If he backslides, the Jags could be liable to allow a handful of devastating big plays this winter. A big debut from rookie third rounder Jalen Huskey or a rise from 2025 third rounder Caleb Ransaw would help restock the depth in center field as well.

Kansas City Chiefs: 60 percent of the starting secondary

Trent McDuffie, Bryan Cook and Jaylen Watson all departed this offseason, leaving a roughly league-average passing defense behind for greener pastures. That's a lot of production to backfill with minimal space, so Kansas City opted to trade up and make Mansoor Delane the sixth overall pick of this spring's draft (Jadon Canady followed in round four) while signing Alohi Gilman and L'Jarius Sneed to relatively inexpensive deals (Kader Kohou and Kaiir Elam were there as well but failed to make the 53-man roster). There's a bit of a duct tape feel to this group that will be tasked with shutting down the AFC's top quarterbacks. Squint hard enough and it makes sense.

Carroll's final(?) act in the NFL was the equivalent of watching Randy Moss in a Tennessee Titans jersey. In his place comes Klint Kubiak, fresh off making Sam Darnold a Super Bowl winning quarterback. His playcalling before 2025 isn't exactly inspiring; a mediocre 2021 Vikings team and a bad 2024 Saints one.

He's been risk averse (with Kirk Cousins in '21) and a risk taker (Darnold's 18 interceptions in '25), but generally willing to adjust to the strengths his roster provides. In 2026, that means bringing Fernando Mendoza along slowly and relying on Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty long enough for proper reinforcements to arrive in 2027.

A swap between Harbaugh brothers helped unlock Oweh's potential. After a 10-sack 2024, he'd been shut out through the first five games of the regular season with the Baltimore Ravens. He joined the Chargers after Week 5 and had 7.5 sacks his final 12 games. His 17.3 percent pressure rate was tops among the team's full-time pass rushers and higher than contemporaries like Myles Garrett, Aidan Hutchinson or Danielle Hunter.

He's a Commander now, leaving the pass rush to Tuli Tuipulotu and a 35-year-old Khalil Mack. Both those guys are great (18.5 sacks, 92 pressures between them), but the depth behind them will rely heavily on first round rookie Akheem Mesidor turning his many years of college experience into Week 1 production.

Durant was the Rams' top corner last fall, allowing only a 70.9 passer rating across 68 targets when split wide. He's a Dallas Cowboy now, which would be a much bigger concern had general manager Les Snead not raided the Chiefs' secondary for its top two corners this offseason.

Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie will bring an immediate upgrade to the secondary as a whole, though Durant's familiarity with defensive coordinator Chris Shula could make his shoes difficult to fill. Still, 2026 was an all-in moment for Los Angeles. There aren't many holes in this roster that haven't been patched.

Miami Dolphins: WRs Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill

Malik Willis' top wideouts for 2026 are some combination of Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas. Greg Dulcich might be a late bloomer at tight end — a position that typically requires a long NFL runway — but 2025 was his first season with a positive EPA when targeted. De'Von Achane has been healthy the past two seasons and was fourth in the NFL in rush yards over expected last fall, but he's about to see the most stacked boxes of his life as opponents dare Miami to throw downfield.

Minnesota Vikings: EDGE Jonathan Greenard

Greenard's sack number slipped from 12 to three last season, but his underlying numbers suggest he remains a dynamic force from the edge. His pressure rate rose to 15.4 percent — two points higher than it was in 2024 — and he was on pace for 58 pressures and 17 quarterback hits over a 17-game season.

Those aren't necessarily double-digit sack indicators, but show he was still a valued member of one of the NFL's most chaotic forces. Despite those three sacks, he was Minnesota's most effective pass rusher last fall. The hope is Dallas Turner is ready for his superstar turn after a solid 2025, but he may have to shoulder the bulk of the load if a 31-year-old Andrew Van Ginkel begins to show signs of an age related decline (he was still good in 2025, despite fewer sacks).

New England Patriots: EDGE K'Lavon Chaisson

Jaylinn Hawkins' departure in the secondary was patched with an aging Kevin Byard and an ascending Craig Woodson. Backfilling Chaisson's pass rushing presence will be more difficult; he led all regular edge rushers with a 14.2 percent pressure rate . His 52 pressures and 7.5 sacks were both second on the team.

Dre'Mont Jones was signed to replace him. With 30 extra pounds he'll bring additional bulk against the run and can play on the line, but he's a less effective player on passing downs. Rookie second round pick Gabe Jacas has dealt with injury and an unusual contract holdout before joining the team midway through the preseason. It's entirely possible a pass rush that struggled to turn pressure into sacks last season backslides this fall.

The Saints swapped out an inside linebacker in his late 30s making his return to the team that drafted him with… a less heralded inside linebacker in his early 30s, making his return to the team that drafted him. This is not a knock on Kaden Elliss, who emerged as one of the league's best blitzing off-ball players after leaving New Orleans in 2023. Elliss's return brings a player who has posted a missed tackle rate under seven percent in each of the last four seasons and who has recorded at least 100 pass rush reps every year in that span (he topped out at 21.5 percent pressure rates in 2023 and 2024, showcasing how effective he can be even if opponents are expecting him).

Coincidentally, Davis returned to the New York Jets after eight seasons (and five All-Pro nods) in Louisiana. The veteran isn't the force he once was, but he remained a steady tackler who was a force meeting tailbacks at the line of scrimmage. His deficiencies in coverage late in his career won't see much of a backfill with Elliss in town, which could leave New Orleans vulnerable in the middle of the field — and that's before taking in the veteran leadership he brought to the locker room.

The Giants need open targets to keep Jaxson Dart from scrambling face first into the concussion protocol. Robinson picked up the slack following Malik Nabers' injury last season, but now he's a Tennessee Titan. This would be a pothole and not a collapsed bridge on New York's road back to prosperity if not for concerning reports about Nabers' rehab. If the third-year wideout can't play effectively, Dart's top wideouts will be some combination of Darius Slayton, third round rookie Malachi Fields and a very washed combination of Darnell Mooney and Odell Beckham Jr. (it pains me to put Mooney here, but good god, his 2024 ).

Robinson expanded his route tree last fall to be more than just a short-range target. His true value came after securing the ball. His 419 yards after catch were 11th-most in the NFL — exactly the kind of production that boosts a young quarterback. The Giants may have correct not to pay big on one year of notable production, but if Nabers can't go this wideout depth chart starts to look a bit… depressing.

New York Jets: Coordinators Tanner Engstrand and Steve Wilks

Most of New York's most notable personnel departures happened before last year's trade deadline. Understanding this left head coach Aaron Glenn in an awful spot with an already bad team, the Jets brought him back for a second year but fired the support staff around him.

Frank Reich won a Super Bowl calling plays for Nick Foles in 2017 and dealt with the wrath of David Tepper in his 11-game stint in charge of the Carolina Panthers in 2023. His biggest challenge, however may be coaxing another revival from Geno Smith — 2025's 35th best starting quarterback in a field of 37.

That lift is only slightly lighter for defensive coordinator Brian Duker. The 37-year-old is younger than his starting middle linebacker (Demario Davis is about six months older) and has never served as a full-on coordinator before. He inherits a defense loaded with a strange blend of veteran talent and young prospects, many of whom haven't played together before 2026.

More high profile players left in bigger deals — A.J. Brown and Jaelan Phillips — but Blankenship's departure shines a light on a potential weakness in the Philadelphia defense. Despite an electric young cornerback trio, the Eagles are set to start some combination of a) an August 2025 cut-down day casualty of the New England Patriots (Marcus Epps) b) a 2025 second round pick who struggled against the pass as a free safety before getting injured (Andrew Mukuba) c) a slot corner who played only 24 snaps aligned at safety last season (Michael Carter II) and d) a seventh-round rookie relegated to the practice squad after cutdown day (Cole Wisniewski). Blankenship had flaws, but he was a stable option in what looks like a volatile rotation for 2026.

Tomlin ruled the sideline at the former Heinz Field for 19 years. He recorded a losing record in zero of them. His ability to keep Pittsburgh in playoff contention but, after 2016, out of Super Bowl contention eventually limited the franchise's rebuild options. So, in his place comes… a head coach who wins a ton of regular season games and falls apart in the postseason.

Mike McCarthy's return to the sidelines leaves him exactly as far removed from his last Super Bowl appearance as Tomlin. He's 6-8 since hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy and his last postseason game saw him get thoroughly ruined by the Packers, becoming the only team in NFL history to lose to a No. 7 seed in the process. This is all to say things have changed for the Steelers, but may look remarkably similar once the season begins.

Winters had his flaws, but played capably alongside Fred Warner before the perennial All-Pro was lost to injury. Getting to play next to one of the league's best defenders is a pretty big caveat, but the undersized off-ball linebacker put in work to ensure teams couldn't simply pick on him when Warner was there. He allowed only 4.8 yards per target in coverage while lined up at linebacker, though his limitations were more apparent when Warner wasn't there to cover for him.

Warner gets a new/old running mate with the return of Dre Greenlaw, who was limited to seven starts with the Denver Broncos last year but was credited for only a single missed tackle in 44 opportunities . If Greenlaw can get back to his 2023 form at age 29, this is an upgrade. If not, Winters could be missed (though dealing him for Osa Odighizuwa was the right decision).

Attrition hit the Seahawks less harshly than most reigning Super Bowl champions thanks to a massive investment in the team's foundation. Kenneth Walker was backfilled by Jadarian Price and the presence of Zach Charbonnet. Riq Woolen's departure may hurt, but he was inconsistent and saw his playing time hit a career low in 2025. Boye Mafe will be missed, but Derick Hall was similarly productive in fewer snaps and produced a higher pressure rate.

The player Mike Macdonald may miss most is Bryant. The rangy safety wasn't infallible, but he was a key deterrent downfield — see his four interceptions without a touchdown allowed while lined up deep, as well as an -8.1 percent catch rate over expected in coverage . Ty Okada, who allowed 75 percent of his targets to be caught as closest defender when lined up at free safety, has big shoes to fill.

David finally retired this offseason, though he's mentioned returning to play alongside Rueben Bain . There's no easy replacement for a 14-year veteran who made himself fundamental to Tampa Bay's identity. Ultimately, however, David was a step slower in his mid-30s, leading to declining coverage skills and rising missed tackle rates.

The concern now is that the players signed to replace him have similar issues. Christian Rozeboom struggled in coverage and missed nearly one out of every eight tackling opportunities last season. Alex Anzalone can replace some of David's leadership and is coming off another solid season, but his 32nd birthday approaches and an age-related decline could follow. The pressure will be on rookie second round pick Josiah Trotter to make an immediate impact and carry David's banner forward in Florida.

Tennessee Titans: OLs Lloyd Cushenberry and Kevin Zeitler

Cam Ward's 37.2 percent pressure rate was a bottom 10 figure among starters, though it was exacerbated by his tendency to hold the ball (and a lack of receivers who could consistently get open). That led to a league-high 55 sacks last fall. Tennessee's 2.5 yards before contact per carry was roughly league average. Cushenberry's play fell from his previous highs, but he's a high-level pass blocker at his best. Zeitler remained one of the most reliable guards in the NFL.

But Tennessee let Cushenberry leave for an inexpensive deal with the Buffalo Bills and Zeitler is staring down retirement. That leaves new additions Austin Schlottman and rookie Day 3 draft pick Fernando Carmona (who is better than his draft position suggests) as replacements. Early returns have been positive, but we'll have to see if they can team with Peter Skoronski to be absolute road graders up front.

The Commanders couldn't have known Las Vegas would blast through the contract curve and give Tyler Linderbaum $27 million annually. It still doesn't explain why they released an above average center making a reasonable $10 million per year. Replacement Nick Allegretti didn't exactly inspire confidence in limited action last season — and even though Biadasz suffered a preseason injury that will keep him off the field this season, his absence will still be felt.