It’s not easy to find bargains in the first few days of free agency, when NFL teams were busy throwing more than a billion dollars in contracts around. The market is rarely filled with star players, which means most free agents end up getting vastly overpaid.
But even in this first wave of new deals, there were a few that had the potential to be steals. It will take a while to know for sure, of course. But here are five of the best contracts given out so far.
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Three years, $67.5 million ($45 million guaranteed)
Maybe $22.5 million per year seems like a lot for a player who has made just six starts in four seasons, but not in the world of NFL quarterbacks.
Think of it this way: Willis now ranks 17th on the list of highest-paid quarterbacks in terms of average annual value. The only starters behind him are either still on their rookie contracts or outliers like Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa, both of whom were just released after signing megadeals at their previous stops.
Yes, Willis’ deal is more about potential than performance, but he’s still young (he’ll turn 27 in May), and he’s shown progress in his limited action. That’s why he had several suitors when the market opened. If he works out, the Dolphins not only have a quarterback for 2026, but they have their long-term answer at the position, too. And if it doesn’t, the low cost gives them the flexibility to move on next year, either in free agency or the loaded 2027 draft.
Now that he’s a full-time starter, Malik Willis could instantly become one of the best rushing QBs in the league. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Four years, $52 million ($35 million guaranteed)
Keeping a young, durable, Pro Bowl center in front of their MVP quarterback seemed like a great move for the Bills from the beginning. Getting him at $13 million per year, though, looks like a steal considering the way Tyler Linderbaum so dramatically reset the center market a few days later with his three-year, $81 million pact with the Raiders.
McGovern gets less than half what Linderbaum makes annually, but he’s hardly half the player. He is a top-five center in the NFL, who probably could’ve gotten more on the open market. Between Linderbaum’s deal and the rise of the salary cap, the center market is surely going to explode in the next few years. But the Bills won’t have to worry about that.
Two years, $12.5 million
There isn’t much of a middle class for NFL running backs anymore. They either get big money in free agency or they don’t get much at all (relatively speaking).
Dowdle slipped into the “not paid much” category with this bargain-basement contract that could be a steal for the Steelers. He’s coming off two straight seasons topping 230 carries and 1,000 yards, and added 39 catches in each of them (averaging 273 yards). He’s also 27 and has low mileage on his body with just 567 rushes over his first five seasons.
Even better, Dowdle is reuniting with his old Cowboys coach, Mike McCarthy, for whom he had his first 1,000-yard season in 2024. It’s a perfect match. And for the Steelers, it’s at a perfect price.
Rico Dowdle doesn’t have a lot of miles on him, and he’s consistently produced when featured. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Three years, $39 million ($26 million guaranteed)
A late-bloomer in his NFL career, Eluemunor has turned into one of the better right tackles in the NFL over the past four seasons. Last year, in fact, he was sixth in pass blocking efficiency among all tackles, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Giants consider him to be a better-than-average run blocker, too. With a market not exactly overflowing with quality tackles, Eluemunor could have drawn a lot of interest in free agency, even at age 31. But he choose to stay with the Giants at a bargain rate of $13 million per season, which ranks 13th among NFL right tackles.
Eluemunor rates higher than that as a player, though, and the Giants surely know it.
Jermaine Eluemunor has quietly developed into one of the top right tackles in the NFL. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Two years, $17 million
This isn’t exactly a splash signing, and it won’t have a huge statistical impact, but there’s a reason that multiple teams were after the 31-year-old veteran middle linebacker. He’s a solid, smart player who does everything right and makes the defense around him better.
Anzalone can play, too. He is still one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL (and his nine passes defensed was more than all Bucs linebackers combined last year). He’s a decent pass-rusher, too, and his sack numbers could rise in Todd Bowles’ blitzing scheme.
That the Bucs got him for just $8.5 million per season is impressive, considering the Jets, Giants, Bears and 49ers were all interested and the Lions wanted him back at one point, as well.
