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Change is coming to every NFL team. There will be moves made in free agency and the draft, of course, but there also will be unexpected trades and player cuts. So far this offseason, there have been rumors about top stars Maxx Crosby, Kyler Murray and A.J. Brown potentially moving on from their franchises. But more shocking moves are likely to come.
Every offseason, there are players who need a change of scenery for a variety of reasons. Some players just never quite develop and could benefit from a new coaching staff that might be able to unlock their potential. Some have worn out their welcome because of a lack of success on the field. Others just want to go to a winning team.
Below, I’ve picked out one player from each team who could benefit from a fresh start in 2026. Who could be on the move this offseason? Let’s start with a wide receiver who might have more success elsewhere.
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SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
WR Keon Coleman
Coleman might be the perfect example of a player who needs a change of scenery after the Bills’ ownership threw him under the bus during the news conference for Joe Brady as the new coach. “I’ll address the Keon situation. The coaching staff pushed to draft Keon,” Terry Pegula stated. “I’m not saying [team executive] Brandon [Beane] wouldn’t have drafted him, but [Coleman] wasn’t his next choice.”
Coleman was a healthy scratch for multiple games during the 2025 season and went over 50 receiving yards in a game only once. The 2024 second-round draft pick might be able to find success with a new organization, but it’s hard to see him reaching his potential if he stays in Buffalo.
QB Tua Tagovailoa
Former coach Mike McDaniel benched Tagovailoa with three games left in the 2025 season, so it’s clear the organization is trying to figure out how to shed his huge contract. Tagovailoa ranked 26th out of 28 qualifying quarterbacks with a career-low 37.6 QBR, and through his 14 games, he also led the NFL with a career-high 15 interceptions.
Most teams consider his $54 million in guarantees untradable unless the Dolphins cover a significant portion of the contract. The Dolphins would get hit with $99.2 million in salary cap charges if they cut Tagovailoa before he receives a $14 million option bonus on March 13.
Editor’s Picks
DT Christian Barmore
The Patriots would definitely need to find an on-field replacement for Barmore’s interior pass-rushing skills. Last season, he had 11 quarterback hits and two sacks. However, Barmore is currently facing an assault and battery charge, and New England might want to make a change and focus more on improving on the edge.
RB Breece Hall
Hall will be hitting free agency in a couple of weeks, and there’s a sense that he wants to move to a more successful organization. (On the day of the Super Bowl, he posted on X, “Hope I get to experience football on this stage. … I’ll get there one day. I know it.”)
He’s still a very talented runner and receiver who posted his first season with 1,000 rushing yards in 2025 and also recorded 350 receiving yards. Hall can be an even bigger part of the receiving game with a different team, as evidenced by his 76 catches for 591 yards and four touchdowns in 2023. NFL Next Gen Stats listed him with 0.58 rushing yards over expected per carry last season.
WR Rashod Bateman
The idea that Bateman needs a change of scenery might be unexpected considering the Ravens signed him to a three-year, $36.75 million extension before the 2025 season. But he had a very disappointing campaign, with just 19 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns.
A part of his problem last season was that opponents treated Bateman as the Ravens’ WR1 because Zay Flowers was in the slot being covered by a nickelback. Bateman just isn’t good enough to get away from that coverage, and he might flourish with a new team for whom he can be more of a complementary player.
Edge Trey Hendrickson
The former All-Pro edge rusher is desperate to get out of Cincinnati. Hendrickson requested a trade for a second straight year in March, but he ultimately stayed with the team. He ended last season with only four sacks in seven games before sitting out due to core muscle surgery. It is a possibility that the Bengals use their franchise tag on Hendrickson, who is about to hit free agency, but it seems that some sort of sign-and-trade deal is more likely.
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• Rankings: Kiper | Miller | Reid | Yates
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G Joel Bitonio
Bitonio is still a top-caliber guard in the league, but he deserves to play for a winner before his career is over. He has played his entire 12-year career with Cleveland and has been to the playoffs only twice. Bitonio is a free agent this offseason, and he makes a lot of sense as a one-year plug-in for a playoff contender that needs an upgrade at the position. Could we interest coach Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers?
Edge Nick Herbig
This is a different kind of call for a change of scenery. Herbig is probably happy in Pittsburgh, and he certainly is providing a lot of value for the Steelers. However, it would be really nice to see what Herbig could do as a starter somewhere — because right now, he’s stuck behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith as a rotational player. Herbig led the league with a 26.3% pass rush win rate in 2025, and he had 7.5 sacks, despite playing just 52% of snaps. Could he lead the league if he were starting for another team?
C/G Juice Scruggs
Scruggs was a second-round pick in the 2023 draft but missed the first 10 games of his rookie season with a hamstring injury. He has been in and out of the lineup ever since — and has yet to reach his potential. Scruggs started most of the 2024 campaign but ranked 32nd out of 33 qualifying players for pass block win rate as a center (89.8%). His 64.3% run block win rate also was poor.
Last season, Scruggs had only one start and mostly appeared on special teams; he was a healthy scratch in one of Houston’s two playoff games. Perhaps in the final year of his rookie contract another team could figure out the skills that made him a high draft pick to begin with.
QB Anthony Richardson Sr.
Richardson’s early performances with Indianapolis just haven’t made the grade. As a rookie in 2023, he posted a 45.0 QBR in four starts. In 2024, he registered a 47.4 QBR in 11 starts. He missed almost all of last season, first because the Colts chose to start Daniel Jones over him and later because Richardson sustained a fractured orbital bone during pregame warmups in October.
Shane Steichen was supposed to be the coach who could develop an offense around Richardson, but it hasn’t worked out. Perhaps another coach could make it work for the signal-caller.
Stephen Holder explains why Anthony Richardson’s time with the Colts could be coming to an end this offseason.
WR Brian Thomas Jr.
This idea would have seemed ridiculous a year ago after Thomas put up 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns in his 2024 rookie campaign. But Thomas seemed to be on a completely different page from quarterback Trevor Lawrence last season, even as the rest of the Jaguars were having success around the wideout. Thomas’ production fell to 48 catches for 707 yards and two scores.
The Jaguars have Travis Hunter coming back. They signed Jakobi Meyers to an extension. And Parker Washington had breakout second half of the 2025 season. There’s room here to trade Thomas, and his talent could fetch a high draft pick to help make up for the picks the Jags lost when they traded up for Hunter in 2025. It’s certainly something worth considering.
CB L’Jarius Sneed
Remember when Sneed was considered one of the league’s top cornerbacks while winning two Super Bowls with the Chiefs? He got a big payday with a trade to the Titans in 2024, but his two seasons with Tennessee have not gone as planned. Sneed has played in only 12 games total because of quadriceps injuries, and he has had off-field legal issues. Since 2024, he has recorded 49 total tackles and zero sacks. A fresh start with a new team might be the thing to help Sneed get back to his glory days on the gridiron.
Edge Jonah Elliss
This is not an issue of a player who has not properly developed. Instead, Elliss is a talented young pass rusher who doesn’t have a path to start behind veterans Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper. Last season, Elliss had a 14.1% pass rush win rate and a 12.2% pressure rate. Both numbers were above average for edge rushers, but he only played 38% of snaps in the games for which he was active.
It would be intriguing to see Elliss get a chance to start elsewhere in the league. Perhaps alongside his brother Christian with New England if K’Lavon Chaisson leaves in free agency?
Edge Felix Anudike-Uzomah
Anudike-Uzomah has not come close to living up to his potential as a first-round pick for the Chiefs. He barely played in his rookie year in 2023 and had just 2.5 sacks with just three starts in his sophomore campaign. In 2025, he missed the entire season with a hamstring injury. At best, he is fourth on the Chiefs’ depth chart, behind George Karlaftis, Mike Danna and Ashton Gillotte. With one year remaining on his rookie deal, perhaps a trade would allow Anudike-Uzomah to finally find the potential that teams saw when he came out of Kansas State.
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RB Zamir White
It just never quite worked out for White with the Raiders since they selected him in the fourth round in 2022. White had only 17 carries for 70 yards as a rookie. In 2023, he managed 104 carries for 451 yards and a touchdown but finished near the bottom of my DVOA ratings because of a lack of explosive runs. He then tallied just 65 carries in 2024 and 12 carries in 2025, with less than 3 yards per carry in both seasons. But he might be able to resuscitate his career if there’s another team looking for an early-down thumper in free agency to fill the bottom of the depth chart.
G Zion Johnson
Johnson hasn’t lived up to his first-round potential in his four years with the Chargers. Last season, his 87.4% pass block win rate ranked 62nd out of 65 qualifying guards. There might be another coaching staff out there that knows how to get the best out of him. Johnson is still a strong run blocker, as his 79.3% run block win rate last season ranked second among guards, behind only Seattle rookie Grey Zabel.
Edge Sam Williams
Williams had 8.5 combined sacks in his first two seasons without starting any games. However, he missed the entire 2024 campaign with a torn left ACL. Last season, he started five games and had one sack and 37 total tackles. By the end of 2025, Williams was playing about only 30% of the defensive snaps in each game. Williams probably could use a fresh start to help him reach back to the potential he showed as a second-round pick out of Ole Miss in 2022. He’ll be a free agent this offseason.
G Evan Neal
This 2022 first-round pick has been a disappointment. Neal washed out at tackle and was supposed to move to guard; but last season, he dealt with a hamstring injury and wasn’t active for a single game. He’s almost assuredly headed to another team this offseason, and perhaps he can be useful as an interior lineman elsewhere.
Mike Tannenbaum, Domonique Foxworth and Dan Graziano discuss the Giants’ potential for next season.
CB Michael Carter II
Carter was near the top of the league in my coverage DVOA metric as the nickelback for the 2023 Jets. He sustained injuries in 2024, and New York traded him to the Eagles in the middle of last season. However, he is kind of wasted playing behind Cooper DeJean, and Carter barely saw the field for defensive snaps after the Eagles acquired him in October. Carter might still be able to be the lead nickel for another team, but I’m guessing the Eagles would not get much for him in the trade market.
CB Marshon Lattimore
Lattimore shined in the first half of the 2024 season before struggling with a hamstring injury. But really, nothing has gone right since the Saints dealt him to the Commanders in the middle of that campaign. Last season, the 29-year-old was one of the worst starting cornerbacks in the league with 27 tackles and one interception in nine games, before suffering a torn left ACL.
Lattimore still has one year left on his contract, but there’s no guaranteed money, so the Commanders could easily cut him with a post-June 1 designation. If he wants to continue playing in the NFL, he would be better off putting his time in Washington behind him.
OL Kiran Amegadjie
It’s a shame to get rid of a player who grew up near the Windy City, but it’s pretty clear that Amegadjie isn’t in the Bears’ plans going forward. The 2024 third-round pick likely would have been cut in last season’s training camp if not for his Day 2 draft upside. His struggles blocking in space led the Bears to start working him at guard instead of tackle. He could use a fresh start with a new organization for whom he could play guard from Day 1 and hopefully fulfill his collegiate potential as a run blocker.
RB David Montgomery
It felt as if the Lions’ “Sonic” and “Knuckles” backfield became more of the Sonic (aka Jahmyr Gibbs, 23) show as the 2025 season went along, although Knuckles (aka Montgomery) still played plenty of snaps. Montgomery only dropped from 41% of offensive snaps in 2024 to 37% of snaps in 2025, but he also dropped from 221 touches to 182. Montgomery will turn 29 in June, and the Lions might look to save some money on the cap by moving on from him this offseason. It also might be better for his career to take a lead-back role with a different team.
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LB Quay Walker
Walker is a free agent this offseason, and there might be another team out there that could better use his skill set. He has strong physical attributes and sideline-to-sideline speed. However, he has really struggled in pass coverage, with a below-average success rate allowed in coverage over the past two seasons. Walker would be a better fit for a team that needs a two-down linebacker who doesn’t necessarily play in pass-first situations.
QB J.J. McCarthy
This is likely never going to happen, because it would be ridiculous for the Vikings to unload a player who still has first-round upside after 10 starts. However, a fresh start for McCarthy with a different organization might be the best thing for his career. Yes, you want a young quarterback to be with an offensive mind such as Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell for the purposes of his development. However, things went so badly for the Vikings with McCarthy last season that it might be best to get him out of the shadow of Super Bowl winner Sam Darnold.
CB Clark Phillips III
Phillips, at 5-foot-9 with short arms, fell to the fourth round in 2023 because of size concerns. But he moved into the starting lineup for the last few games of his rookie season and acquitted himself well, with a better-than-average coverage DVOA. It was a bit of a surprise when he started only two games in 2024. Then he missed almost the entire 2025 season with a triceps injury. He’s definitely a player who needs a fresh start, although a new staff in Atlanta means that perhaps his fresh start will come without moving anywhere.
RB Jonathon Brooks
When the Panthers selected Brooks in the second round in 2024, they knew he would miss some of his rookie year while recovering from a right ACL tear suffered in college. They did not know Brooks would tear that same ACL again after just nine NFL carries or that the second injury would cost him not only the end of the 2024 season but the entirety of the 2025 campaign. Now, Brooks has to face the question of whether there is room for him in the Carolina backfield. Rico Dowdle is a free agent. But even if Dowdle doesn’t re-sign, the Panthers still have Chuba Hubbard and Trevor Etienne. Brooks might need to go elsewhere to finally get his NFL shot.
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QB Spencer Rattler
With a number of teams looking to make a change at quarterback, ESPN’s Ben Solak has suggested Rattler as an option for a starting job next season. The Saints have clearly committed to Tyler Shough as their starter now. But Rattler had a very respectable 50.1 QBR in eight starts in 2025, which actually was higher than Shough’s 48.8. Rattler has strong physical tools, but he also showed a better grasp of the mental aspects of the position last season.
Edge Chris Braswell
The Bucs selected Braswell with the No. 57 pick in 2024, and the linebacker out of Alabama was supposed to be a talented pass rusher with good burst and a variety of pass-rushing moves. However, Braswell hasn’t had much time on the field to show off those moves. He has never started a game in the NFL and has just 2.5 career sacks.
Last season, he played less than 25% of defensive snaps in 11 contests and more than 50% of defensive snaps in just one game. The likely departure of Haason Reddick in free agency might open up a starting spot for Braswell, but it is more likely that Braswell needs to go to a new team with a new coaching staff in order to get his chance to finally reach his NFL potential.
QB Kyler Murray
As Adam Schefter has revealed, the Cardinals are actively looking for a trade partner who will take Murray’s substantial contract. Murray was a star for his first couple of seasons in the desert, but he has struggled since the 2022 campaign, after which coach Kliff Kingsbury was fired and took his shotgun-heavy offense with him. Although Murray did manage to put up a better QBR (46.7) than Jacoby Brissett (41.1) last season, it seemed clear Brissett was a better match for Drew Petzing’s offensive scheme.
Petzing is gone now, and it’s going to be new coach Mike LaFleur’s scheme instead. But it’s hard to see Murray thriving if LaFleur wants to run the heavy play-action, under-center type of offense associated with his previous tenure with the Rams.
CB Darious Williams
The eight-year veteran was a useful part of the Rams’ defense in 2025, even though he started just three games. Williams ranked high in my coverage DVOA metric and allowed just 6.4 yards per target. However, he is going to be 33 next month and doesn’t have any guaranteed money remaining on his contract. It would be easy for the Rams to go another direction in the secondary, leaving Williams to find another job elsewhere.
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WR Brandon Aiyuk
Is it cheating to list Aiyuk for the 49ers? He has basically left the team already. General manager John Lynch has publicly stated that Aiyuk has played his last snap for San Francisco. Aiyuk has fought with the Niners over everything from his contract details to whether he wears the right shorts on the practice field.
He is still a talented wideout, although his numbers fell substantially in 2024 with just 374 receiving yards. Aiyuk didn’t play last season, but he led the league in receiving DVOA not so long ago, with 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023. It will be interesting to see if he can return to something close to that glory with another team in 2026.
CB Riq Woolen
The situation between the Seahawks and Woolen was a bit weird all last season, although it’s easy for a Super Bowl title to cover up any awkwardness. The Seahawks benched him briefly a couple of times, and he was out of the starting lineup for the second half of the season, even though he was still playing about two-thirds of defensive snaps.
Woolen ranked a surprising 12th in my coverage DVOA metric in 2025, allowing just 5.6 yards per target. But at the same time, he can be hard to trust when he has small meltdowns like the one in the NFC Championship Game, during which he drew a taunting penalty then gave up a touchdown. If another team wants to pay Woolen starting cornerback money, the Seahawks are probably fine with that.
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