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Free agency is upon us in the NFL.
The Super Bowl is over and teams are ready to do whatever it takes to make a go for it next season. That means players are leaving the only teams they’ve ever known in search of greener turf. For some teams that means cutting ties with fan favorites to make room in the salary cap— that means once-rival players are suddenly wearing your team’s colors.
Here are the biggest offseason moves we’ve seen in the NFL so far:
Jordy Nelson
Things change quickly. Jordy Nelson led the league in receiving touchdowns two years ago, but an ACL tear slowed him down. And after ten years with the Green Bay Packers, he was let go. Even Aaron Rodgers wasn’t too happy about it. No worries, though, he might be heading to Oakland next.
Jimmy Graham
Thanks to free agency, the Packers are looking to sign arguably the best wide receiver around in Jimmy Graham. There are no official details on what the deal will look like, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports it’ll be three years for around $30 million. Graham is winning.
Richard Sherman
After making a name for himself with the Seattle Seahawks, Richard Sherman is taking his talents to the rival team, the San Francisco 49ers. Refusing to take a pay cut turned out well for Sherman and he quickly rebounded by signing a $39 million contract with Kaepernick’s old team. It pays to be your own agent.
Jonathan Stewart
The 30-year-old veteran running back isn’t what he once was, but he’s still got some juice in the tank and the New York Giants know it. He inked a two-year deal with Big Blue worth $8.4 million and is guaranteed $2.95 million. Hopefully, the Giants can also pick up Saquon Barkley in the draft, too.
Brent Celek
This one had to hurt diehard Philly fans. Tight end Brent Celek is the longest-tenured member of the Philadephia Eagles and he had to be cut to free up some much-needed salary-cap space. Celek played for the city of Brotherly Love for 11 seasons and became a loved member of the squad. Plus, he’s only missed one game during his entire tenure.
Alex Smith
Onward and upward. Quarterback Alex Smith has decided to bid farewell to the Kansas City Chiefs to play for the Washington Washington Football Team. With the help of The Player’s Tribune, Smith penned a touching letter to the city of Kansas and said he’s excited to meet his new teammates and learn the new playbook.
