Free‑agency one‑year trend

PFF counted at least 56 players who signed one‑year pacts in the first free‑agency wave and noted 34 of those were age 28 or younger. (pff.com) Cornerback Riq Woolen agreed to a one‑year deal reported at up to $15 million with Philadelphia after leaving Seattle. (espn.com) The Carolina Panthers signed offensive tackle Rasheed Walker to a reported one‑year deal worth up to $10 million (with initial base value near $4 million and roughly $3.215 million fully guaranteed, per contract breakdowns). (nfl.com) (atozsports.com) Running back Rachaad White joined Washington on a one‑year contract that multiple outlets reported around $2 million base with incentives pushing it toward $4 million. (espn.com) (spotrac.com) Those short deals stand alongside blockbuster multi‑year commitments—Jaelan Phillips’ recently reported four‑year, $120 million pact with $80 million guaranteed is an example of teams still making long‑term outsized investments. (espn.com) PFF tracks the split as deliberate: teams are increasingly reluctant to hand out long multi‑year extensions because long contracts “don’t age well,” a factor PFF says helps explain the surge in short‑term deals this cycle. (pff.com) Even when one‑year deals carry sizable headline values, they can create later dead‑cap or guarantee structures—the Eagles’ Woolen deal was reported with a small 2026 cap hit but an $8.592 million dead‑cap figure in 2027, illustrating financial tradeoffs teams are managing while keeping roster flexibility. (nbcsportsphiladelphia.com) The upshot across the first wave: a measurable concentration of young, marketable players choosing or accepting one‑year arrangements while a smaller set of top targets secured multi‑year, high‑guarantee deals—PFF’s count and contract examples above document that bifurcated market in 2026 free agency. (pff.com)