NFC Contract Details: Phillips, Saints, Evans, Bears, Cowboys, Packers, Giants, Cardinals, Eagles
We covered a batch of contract details from the AFC earlier today. Here are the numbers from some of the NFC’s biggest deals from free agency’s first wave:
- Jaelan Phillips, OLB (Panthers). Four years, $120MM. Of Phillips’ $80MM guarantee, $60MM is locked in at signing (per SI.com’s Albert Breer). Phillips secured an early guarantee as well, according to OverTheCap, with $20MM of his 2028 base salary becoming guaranteed on Day 3 of the 2027 league year.
- David Edwards, G (Saints). Four years, $61MM. Edwards secured $45MM guaranteed, according to ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell, with $40MM at signing (via OverTheCap). The Saints gave Edwards — who was tied to a two-year, $6MM Bills deal from 2024-25 — guarantees through 2028, with Terrell indicating $10MM of the guard’s $15MM 2028 base salary is locked in at signing (Edwards’ full guarantee ranks sixth among guards). The remaining $5MM in 2028 compensation vests on Day 3 of the ’28 league year, per OverTheCap. Edwards is also due a $1MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2029 league year, Terrell adds.
- Mike Evans, WR (49ers). Three years, $42.5MM. Evans will receive $14.3MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. Two nonguaranteed option bonuses are included in the deal, per ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner, who indicates a $12.05MM option bonus is in place for 2027 and a $10.95MM bonus for 2028. Four void years are in place on the deal, which includes $4.25MM, $7.31MM and $9.7MM cap numbers. Essentially, this is a one-year, $14.3MM accord with team options.
- Coby Bryant, S (Bears). Three years, $40MM. Bryant landed $25.75MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Bryant secured a Year 2 fully guaranteed base salary ($12.25MM), SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. A $500K roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2028 league year.
- Jermaine Eluemunor, RT (Giants). Three years, $39MM. Eluemunor secured a $25.45MM guarantee at signing, Wilson adds. (This comes after he played out a two-year, $14MM deal.) Eluemunor received $12.15MM of his $12.4MM 2027 salary guaranteed (via OverTheCap).
- Kaden Elliss, LB (Saints). Three years, $33MM. Of that total, Terrell notes $23MM is fully guaranteed. Both Elliss’ 2026 and ’27 base salaries are fully guaranteed; his 2028 compensation is nonguaranteed.
- Sean Rhyan, OL (Packers). Three years, $33MM. Per Packers non-QB norms, Rhyan’s signing bonus ($11MM) represents his only fully guaranteed money. Green Bay included a $6.65MM roster bonus, which ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky is due on Day 3 of the 2027 league year. A $3MM roster bonus is due on Day 3 of the ’28 league year, Demovsky adds.
- Isaac Seumalo, G (Cardinals). Three years, $31.5MM. Seumalo secured $19MM guaranteed, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, with $15MM fully guaranteed. Semualo received $3MM of his 2027 base salary ($8MM) guaranteed at signing; another $4MM of the 2027 salary locks in on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, per OverTheCap.
- Javonte Williams, RB (Cowboys). Three years, $24MM. Williams scored $16MM at signing. His 2026 and ’27 base salaries are locked in, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. There are $3MM — $1MM per year — in per-game roster bonuses.
- Riq Woolen, CB (Eagles). One year, $12MM. The deal is fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap. Seeing as this is the Eagles, there are four void years included in this contract. If he is not re-signed before the deal voids in 2027, the Eagles would be hit with $8.59MM in dead money.
Panthers Outbid Eagles For Jaelan Phillips
Jaelan Phillips‘ $30MM per year contract with the Panthers was the biggest payday of any player to hit free agency.
Multiple teams were in the hunt for his signature, including the Eagles, but the 26-year-old said on Monday (via The Athletic’s Joe Person) that Carolina’s offer was “more attractive” than Philadelphia’s.
The Eagles moved a third-round pick for Phillips at the 2025 trade deadline, and he put up a strong second-half performance, though his counting tallies of two sacks and four tackles for loss do not show it. In the last nine games of the season, he led the defense with 44 pressures, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He finished the year with 76 total pressures and a 18.4% pass rush win rate, both top-10 marks among edge rushers.
Those results created a massive market for Phillips in free agency, and he cashed in. The Eagles will now be in line to pick up a third-round compensatory pick in the 2027 draft, per OverTheCap, as a consolation prize after being outbid by the Panthers.
Carolina did not need to make such an aggressive offer to Rasheed Walker, who drew surprisingly little interest in free agency after three years as the Packers’ starting left tackle. He was aiming for a multi-year contract with a $20MM AAV, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, comparable to what Dan Moore Jr. received from the Titans last year, but had to settle for a one-year, $10MM deal with the Panthers.
Moore’s contract did not age well, so teams may have been hesitant to pay for starting experience rather than true high-end talent. Walker has graded out well as a pass blocker, but his run-blocking grade has never been higher than 56.3 and his pass blocking efficiency has never topped 96.5.
Carolina is an excellent situation for Walker to try to push his valuation into the market he desires. Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu is recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee, and given that the injury happened in the first round of the playoffs in January, he may not play in 2026. Walker will take his spot for the season in the hopes of a bigger payday this time next year.
Panthers To Re-Sign P Sam Martin
Veteran punter Sam Martin joined the Panthers on a one-year deal last March, but he will receive more security this offseason. The Panthers will retain Martin on a two-year contract worth up to $5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Carolina is the fourth NFL stop for the 36-year-old Martin, who divided his first 12 seasons among Detroit, Denver and Buffalo. Aside from a 10-game 2017 with the Lions, Martin has played at least 16 contests in every season. Martin has averaged 46.3 gross yards per punt and 41.0 net over 811 attempts.
During his first year with Carolina, Martin punted 56 times in 17 games. At 47.2 yards per attempt, he checked in just shy of the league-average mark (47.4). His 40.5 net was also a bit below the mean (41.3), though he posted the sixth-highest percentage of punts inside the 20 (48.2). Martin also punted for a touchback on just 5.4% of attempts, easily better than the league-average figure of 7.7.
For the reigning NFC South champion Panthers, re-signing Martin means they will keep their 2025 special teams battery in place. Martin will again team with kicker Ryan Fitzgerald and long snapper J.J. Jansen.
Panthers, S Nick Scott Agree To Deal
Nick Scott will remain in place with the Panthers for a third season. The veteran safety is re-signing with Carolina, per his agents (h/t Joe Person of The Athletic). The team has since announced the deal. 
This will be a one-year deal. Scott can earn up to $3.25MM in 2026, which would be a notable raise compared to his previous Carolina contracts (both of which were also one year in length). His guarantee figure will be worth watching for, but in any case Scott is in position to remain a full-time defensive starter.
After playing out his rookie contract with the Rams, Scott inked a three-year Bengals deal. The former seventh-rounder was released after just one season with Cincinnati, however. That set up his debut Panthers campaign in 2024, which included a regular role on special teams along with a part-time defensive workload. Scott became a staple in the secondary in 2025, handling a career-high 1,035 snaps on defense.
The Penn State product totaled 111 tackles this past season, comfortably the most in his career. Scott added one interception, three pass deflections and one fumble recovery along the way. Coverage proved to be an issue, with three touchdowns and a passer rating of 117 allowed as the nearest defender. Scott and the Panthers will look for stronger play in that regard moving forward. Carolina ranked 15th against the pass in 2025 under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who will return next year.
Improved play in general will be the expectation for the Panthers on defense given their free agent investments. Big-ticket deals with edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd were worked out shortly after the negotiating window opened. Stronger showings in the front seven could of course help Carolina’s secondary and Scott’s individual performance in 2026. That could boost the 30-year-old’s market next spring.
The Panthers entered Saturday with nearly $25MM in cap space. As a result, plenty of room will remain for other outside additions even with Scott on the books once more.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/26
Here are Friday’s minor NFL moves as free agency continues into the weekend:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: WR Simi Fehoko
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: G Corey Bullock
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: LB Claudin Cherelus
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: CB Jaylon Jones
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: CB D’Angelo Ross
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: TE Princeton Fant
Denver Broncos
- Signed RFA tender: CB Ja’Quan McMillian
Houston Texans
- Waived: DT Kurt Hinish
Miami Dolphins
- Signed ERFA tender: CB Ethan Bonner
- Signed: P Seth Vernon
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: C Zeke Correll
New York Giants
- Signed: S Elijah Campbell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: TE Ko Kieft
After making the call not to tender him as a restricted free agent, the Panthers were able to come to an agreement to re-sign Cherelus. The undrafted linebacker has started six of 27 game appearances in his last two years with Carolina, logging 60 total tackles.
Unlike Cherelus, McMillian did get tendered in Denver. With 16 starts in 51 games appearances over four years with the Broncos, McMillian’s tender is worth $5.77MM for the 2026 season, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
The Texans signed Hinish to a one-year deal last year, but the Notre Dame product spent the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. Instead of holding on to him for the upcoming season, they’ve decided to cut him from the roster.
NFL Restructures: Jackson, Goff, Falcons, Packers, Panthers, Colts
Austin Jackson has been unable to stay healthy for a sizable chunk of his Dolphins career, and the veteran right tackle is accepting a pay cut in the final year of his contract. The Dolphins are reducing Jackson’s 2026 compensation to $7MM, ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques tweets. The move created $8.5MM in cap space for Miami. Tied to a three-year deal worth $36MM, Jackson was to carry a $15.39MM cap number on the Dolphins’ 2026 payroll. That number is down to $6.9MM.
The Dolphins extended Jackson late in the 2023 season but saw him miss nine games in 2024 and 11 in 2025. This came after 15 absences in 2022. Jackson timed his 16-game 2023 season well, as it convinced then-Dolphins GM Chris Grier to extend him. A season-ending knee injury sidelined Jackson in November 2024, and he experienced a recovery setback during 2025 training camp. A toe injury sustained in Week 1 led Jackson to IR last season. The seventh-year veteran is still on track for free agency in 2027, but rather than try his luck on the market this year coming off two injury-marred seasons, the former first-round pick accepted this trim.
Here are the other deals recently restructured around the NFL:
- The Lions currently sit at $35MM-plus in cap space, getting there after releasing Taylor Decker and trading David Montgomery to the Texans. The main reason Detroit is that far under the cap, however, came when the team restructured Jared Goff‘s deal. The sixth-year Lions QB will see $40MM of his base salary converted into a bonus, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, who notes a void year has been added to the deal. This saves $32MM in cap space for the Lions, who joined the Bills, Chiefs, Cowboys and Ravens in completing a recent QB restructure. Goff’s 2027 and ’28 cap hits are now beyond $62MM, likely leading the Lions to go to this well again.
- The Falcons are using the Jake Matthews contract to create more than $10MM in cap space. Matthews will see his salary knocked down to $2MM, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson noting a $14MM signing bonus will now be prorated into future years. As Connor Byrne’s Falcons Offseason Outlook noted, Matthews’ $27.27MM cap hit was the highest on the Falcons’ payroll. It is now at $16.77MM, saving the team nearly $10MM. One void year is now on this two-year, $45MM extension.
- Adam La Rose’s Packers Offseason Outlook noted Aaron Banks carried the third-largest cap hit on the roster ($24.79MM). That is now down to $12MM. The $12MM-plus in savings come from the team converting most of the guard’s salary into a signing bonus, Wilson adds. Two void years have also been added to Banks’ four-year, $77MM contract.
- Beyond the Michael Pittman Jr. salary dump and Daniel Jones‘ extension to move off the transition tag, the Colts created cap space by restructuring left tackle Bernhard Raimann‘s deal. Indianapolis dropped Raimann’s base salary to $2MM, moving his cap number from $17.51MM to $9.26MM. This $8MM-plus in savings will lead to two $2MM roster bonuses being inserted into the deal (in 2028 and ’29), Wilson adds. The adjustment also balloons the LT’s 2027 cap number to $30.61MM.
- Derrick Brown carried the top Panthers cap hit entering March ($24.5MM), but Wilson adds it has been reduced to $10.95MM via a restructure. The Panthers saved nearly $14MM in cap space here on a contract that runs through the 2028 season. The cost-saving move does inflate Brown’s two future Carolina cap numbers past $31MM, however.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/11/26
Today’s restricted free agent and exclusive free agent tenders:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Bills: OT Ryan Van Demark
- Buccaneers: RB Sean Tucker
- Seahawks: WR Jake Bobo
- Titans: WR Bryce Oliver
Non-tendered:
- Eagles: FB Ben VanSumeren
- Panthers: LB Claudin Cherelus
- Patriots: LB Jack Gibbens
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/11/26
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: RB Zonovan Knight
- Signed: LS Casey Kreiter
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: C Corey Levin, LB Channing Tindall
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: DE Trevis Gipson, TE James Mitchell
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Jack Stoll
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: LB Tyrus Wheat
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: FB Adam Prentice
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: OLB Brenton Cox, DT Jonathan Ford
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: LS Josh Harris
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: S Zayne Anderson, TE Ben Sims
New England Patriots
- Signed: S Mike Brown, TE Julian Hill
New York Giants
- Re-signed: LB Zaire Barnes
New York Jets
- Re-signed: OT Max Mitchell
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-signed: OL Jack Driscoll
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: RB Patrick Taylor
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: LS Chris Stoll
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DE Malik Herring
Panthers To Sign WR John Metchie
After playing out his rookie contract with three different teams, John Metchie has lined up another new arrangement. The wideout has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Panthers, per his agent (h/t ESPN’s Adam Schefter).
The former second-round pick is coming off a 2025 campaign that he split between the Jets and Eagles. Now, he’ll be joining a Panthers offense that’s led by Bryce Young, who was Metchie’s QB when the two were at Alabama.
It was Metchie’s performance with the Crimson Tide that convinced the Texans to use the 44th-overall pick on the WR in the 2022 draft. Unfortunately, the receiver failed to click in Houston. He sat out his rookie campaign after being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, but he returned in time for the 2023 season. In two healthy years with the organization, Metchie was limited to a combined 40 catches for 412 yards and one touchdown.
He was dealt to the Eagles last August for a late-round pick swap and got into seven games with his new squad, hauling in four catches for 18 yards. He was included in the Michael Carter swap in October and proceeded to appear in nine games (seven starts) for the Jets, where he finished with 29 catches for 256 yards and two scores.
Now, he’ll be reuniting with Young in Carolina. He’ll have an opportunity to carve out a minor role with his new team, although it’s worth noting that the Panthers are set to return all of their top-four WRs (in terms of snap count) from 2025: Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, and Brycen Tremayne.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Panthers To Sign OL Stone Forsythe
Stone Forsythe is heading to Carolina. The free agent offensive lineman has agreed to a deal with the Panthers, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. It’s a one-year deal for Forsythe, according to Joe Person of The Athletic.
The former sixth-round pick out of Florida ended up playing out his rookie contract in Seattle. He eventually emerged as a key depth piece on the Seahawks offensive line, starting half of his 26 appearances between 2023 and 2024.
He joined the Giants during last year’s free agency but didn’t make it to the regular season with his new squad, as he was among the team’s final preseason cuts. He quickly caught on with the Raiders and played a significant role in Las Vegas, starting a career-high 13 games. Unfortunately, Pro Football Focus wasn’t all that bullish on his performance, ranking him 72nd among 84 qualifying offensive tackles.
He’ll likely revert to a depth piece in Carolina behind Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton. Brady Christensen and Yosh Nijman are both free agents, so Forsythe will be penciled for the swing tackle role heading into the 2026 campaign.