The new league year for the NFL has arrived, and teams have now made more moves on the first official day of free agency after the legal negotiation window passed.
While the release of quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Kirk Cousins was expected, a few moves were less expected. Here are the top five moves on Wednesday as the new league year got underway.
Patriots Find Fit in Kevin Byard III
The New England Patriots found a true culture fit in safety Kevin Byard III, as he signed a one-year, $9 million deal, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported.Byard helped the Chicago Bears turn things around over the last two years, and now he rejoins Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel in Foxborough. The two worked together while they were with the Tennessee Titans between 2018 and 2023.
Vrabel has the highest regard for Byard, which Vrabel expressed when the Titans traded him away to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023. Byard is a two-time Pro Bowler with 36 career interceptions.
“When I arrived, he helped carry a new message into the locker room and establish the mindset and work ethic we were trying to instill throughout the team,” Vrabel said in 2023 via ESPN’s Turron Davenport. “An intelligent and athletic player, he has led the secondary and helped us win a lot of games.”
Vikings Keeping RB Aaron Jones
The Minnesota Vikings will keep running back Aaron Jones Sr. after all. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Jones’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said his client has restructured his contract with the Vikings.Minnesota keeps a talented veteran running back, who had 548 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 132 carries amid injury last season. Before that, Jones had 1,138 yards and five touchdowns on 255 carries in 2024 with the Vikings.
As the running back free agent dominoes fell, it made more and more sense for the Vikings to keep Jones. The running back pool in the upcoming draft isn’t great, and top back Jeremiyah Love will more than likely be off the board by the time the Vikings pick at No. 18 in the first round.
Colts Re-Sign QB Daniel Jones
The Indianapolis Colts made a critical move on Wednesday in re-signing quarterback Daniel Jones.Schefter reported that Jones and the Colts agreed to a two-year, $88 million contract, which could increase to $100 million. It allows the Colts to avoid paying him the $37.83 million transition tag for one season instead.
Jones had a career year with the Colts in 2025 before an Achilles injury derailed his season. He completed 68 percent of his passes for 3,101 yards and 19 touchdowns versus eight interceptions for a career-high rating of 100.2 in 13 games.
Buffalo Bills Restructure QB Josh Allen Contract
The Buffalo Bills positioned themselves to build around quarterback Josh Allen in his prime by restructuring his contract. ESPN’s Field Yates reported that the Bills created $12 million in salary cap space with the move.Allen has an 88–39 record as the starter for the Bills, with a career pass completion rate of 64 percent for 30,102 yards and 220 touchdowns versus 94 picks. He has an 8–7 playoff record in seven postseasons since 2019, but Allen and company have fallen short of the Super Bowl each time.
Ravens Rework QB Lamar Jackson Contract
Similar to the Bills with Allen, the Baltimore Ravens reworked quarterback Lamar Jackson’s deal for $40 million in salary cap savings, Schefter reported. That freed up the Ravens to bring in star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson from the Cincinnati Bengals.A deal was originally intended for pass rusher Maxx Crosby in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, but that fell through when Crosby failed his physical. The Ravens want to build around Jackson in his prime amid two MVPs and five playoff appearances.
Baltimore hasn’t been able to reach the Super Bowl with Jackson yet, but adding more talent to free up cap space could help change that. In eight seasons, Jackson has completed 64.8 percent of his passes for 22,608 yards and 187 touchdowns versus 56 interceptions.
