play1:20Schefter: Brian Flores will have coaching optionsAdam Schefter joins “The Pat McAfee Show” to discuss where Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores might end up next season.
Orlovsky: Stefanski is going to get a job this season (2:27)The “Get Up” crew reacts to the Browns’ decision to fire coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons. (2:27)
Colts quarterback Philip Rivers joins “The Rich Eisen Show” to discuss coming out of retirement to play for Indianapolis.
Schefter: Brian Flores will have coaching optionsAdam Schefter joins “The Pat McAfee Show” to discuss where Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores might end up next season.
Adam Schefter joins “The Pat McAfee Show” to discuss where Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores might end up next season.
The 2026 NFL offseason has begun for the 19 teams. How can each improve over the next seven months to have better results next season? What big decisions are on deck for each front office? We have next steps for all 19 franchises.
It’s all here as we get ready for the offseason. ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) and projected salary cap space (via Roster Management System) are as of Jan. 4. We’ll add more teams as they’re eliminated during the postseason.
Jump to a team: ARI | ATL | BAL | CAR | CIN | CLE DAL | DET | IND | KC | LV MIA | MIN | NO | NYG NYJ | TB | TEN | WSH
2025 record: 8-9 Final FPI ranking: No. 25 Estimated 2026 cap space: $25.5 million 2026 first-round draft pick: No. 19
What is their top offseason priority? Beef up the pass rush. After tying for 29th in total sacks in 2024, Carolina improved only to 28th this season (30, tied with the Ravens and Cardinals). Getting to the quarterback is a major key to coordinator Ejiro Evero’s 3-4 scheme, so the team needs to add more talent on the edge.
What is one secondary priority to watch? Deciding if quarterback Bryce Young fits into the team’s long-term plans. The former No. 1 overall pick will be heading into his fourth season, but he’s still showing signs of inconsistency as a passer. Young ranked 22nd in QBR (47.7) and completion percentage (63.6%, tied with the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson). — David Newton
Latest on whether they will re-sign center Cade Mays: Mays is one of the top centers to hit free agency, turns 27 in April and has flexibility to play guard. The Panthers have interest in retaining core players. A re-sign wouldn’t shock if both sides can find a sweet spot. — Fowler
Early draft outlook: Building better protection around Young next season is still a vital need for Carolina, especially on the interior. Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane is the top prospect on the inside. He has the power at 330 pounds to move piles in the run game, while also showing the agility to be an ideal blocker for a mobile quarterback. — Miller
Big prediction for the offseason: The Panthers will pay big money to Trey Hendrickson. The Panthers ranked 24th in pass rush win rate this season, and while they took two edge rushers high in the 2025 draft (Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen), they could use a steady veteran to lead the attack. — Schatz
2025 record: 3-14 Final FPI ranking: No. 26 Estimated 2026 cap space: $14.5 million 2026 first-round draft pick: No. 3
What is their top offseason priority? Decide what they’re going to do with quarterback Kyler Murray. Is it time to part ways, or will the Cardinals try to run it back for another season? The former is more than likely, but that leads to another question: Do the Cardinals just cut him or can they trade him to get at least some compensation?
What is one secondary priority to watch? Figure out why there were so many injuries this season. Coach Jonathan Gannon has said more than once that his offseason evaluation will include a deeper dive into how Arizona handles health and wellness. Injuries decimated the Cardinals’ roster on both sides of the ball, preventing them from putting a suitable enough roster on the field this season.
Latest on the head coach situation: The Cardinals fired third-year head coach Jonathan Gannon, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, on the Monday after their worst regular season of the modern era. General manager Monti Ossenfort will spearhead the search for a new head coach. — Josh Weinfuss
Early draft outlook: The Cardinals need a lot of help, so they can afford to take a “best player available” approach in the first round. If Murray ends up elsewhere by April, quarterback could be an area that’s addressed, but offensive line is a glaring weakness on the roster. Arizona took 53 sacks entering Week 17, sixth most in the NFL. Miami’s Francis Mauigoa and Utah’s Spencer Fano are polished blockers who could become immediate starters at right tackle. — Reid
Big prediction for the offseason: The Cardinals will keep Murray. Everyone expects a trade, but his level of play and his contract aren’t so bad that the Cardinals need to deal him right away. If they don’t find a solid offer for Murray, keeping him for one more year is very defensible. — Solak
2025 record: 8-9 Final FPI ranking: No. 24 Estimated 2026 cap space: minus-$12.7 million 2026 first-round draft pick: None (traded to LAR)
What is their top offseason priority? Decide who stays and who goes. Owner Arthur Blank has several decisions to make with the coaching staff and front office. General manager Terry Fontenot has not produced a winning season in five years with the team, while the Falcons regressed in Year 2 under coach Raheem Morris.
What is one secondary priority to watch? Figuring out who will play quarterback in Week 1. Michael Penix Jr. tore his ACL in November and will be out at least nine months, which could push up on training camp. The Falcons are committed to Penix, but they could try to bring in someone if he isn’t ready and Kirk Cousins isn’t a viable option.
Latest on the head coach situation: The Falcons fired coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot after two straight disappointing seasons. Their exits came hours after Atlanta wrapped up an 8-9 season with a 19-17 win over the Saints. — Marc Raimondi
Latest on whether they will re-sign tight end Kyle Pitts Sr.: He came on strong at the end of his fourth season with the team, finishing with 928 receiving yards. But with top wide receiver Drake London extension-eligible, I don’t see the Falcons handing out top tight end money to a player who hasn’t been consistently healthy or consistently great since after his rookie season. — Graziano
Early draft outlook: Even though the Falcons don’t have a first-round pick, there are still plenty of options to address their need at cornerback. Julian Neal (Arkansas) and Davison Igbinosun (Ohio State) are a couple of Day 2 names who could play opposite A.J. Terrell Jr. — Reid
Big prediction for the offseason: The Falcons will keep Cousins in 2026. Sure, this is finally the year in which it’s easier to get out of his contract. But the offense has worked better with Cousins than Penix, and Cousins looks far healthier another year removed from the Achilles injury. — Solak
2025 record: 8-9 Final FPI ranking: No. 6 Estimated 2026 cap space: $8.4 million 2026 first-round draft pick: No. 14
What is their top offseason priority? Reduce quarterback Lamar Jackson’s salary cap number. The Ravens will be extremely limited with what they can do in free agency if they don’t lower Jackson’s cap figure, which jumps to $74.5 million in 2026 (roughly 25% of Baltimore’s cap). The team likely needs to sign him to a new contract, and the last contract talks with Jackson were challenging because he doesn’t have an agent and represents himself.
What is one secondary priority to watch? Add an impact edge rusher. This is the first season since 1996 that the Ravens didn’t have at least one edge rusher with six or more sacks. Plus, Baltimore’s two most experienced pass rushers — Dre’Mont Jones and Kyle Van Noy — are unrestricted free agents.
Latest on the head coach situation: The Ravens fired John Harbaugh, ending the run of the most successful coach in franchise history. His exit came two days after the Ravens lost to the Pittsburgh 26-24 after missing a last-second field goal attempt, which eliminated them from the playoffs for the first time since 2021. — Jamison Hensley
Latest on whether they will re-sign center Tyler Linderbaum: Tricky one. The Ravens declined Linderbaum’s fifth-year option for the same reason the franchise tag likely isn’t a possibility — because all offensive linemen are the same in the eyes of the fifth-year option and the franchise tag, and applying either would make Linderbaum the highest-paid center by $4 to $5 million per year. They want to have Linderbaum back, but he has the leverage. — Graziano
Early draft outlook: The Ravens defense has taken a massive step back this season, which has primarily been because they can’t generate any pressure. Zion Young (Missouri) and Derrick Moore (Michigan) are two edge rushers who fit the profile of players that Baltimore has gravitated toward in prior drafts. — Reid
Big prediction for the offseason: The Ravens will part ways with cornerback Marlon Humphrey, whether via trade or just as an outright cut. Humphrey has been one of the most targeted — and least successful — cornerbacks deep downfield this season. He would hit the Ravens’ cap for nearly $20 million in 2026, the final year of his current deal. — Solak
2025 record: 6-11 Final FPI ranking: No. 14 Estimated 2026 cap space: $60.8 million 2026 first-round draft pick: No. 10
What is their top offseason priority? Add juice to the pass rush. Cincinnati’s young pass rushers showed promise at the end of the season, but they were 30th in pass rush win rate and 26th in team sacks through Week 17. Recreating the magic of 2021, when Cincinnati added Larry Ogunjobi as an interior pass rusher, could be critical to improving the defense.
What is one secondary priority to watch? Solidify the secondary. While safety Geno Stone deserves due credit for helping fix the defense at the end of the season, he will be a free agent next season. Finding someone to pair with Jordan Battle, as well as landing a starting slot cornerback, will be critical.