The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[prodigy]

We can draft a potential franchise receiver in April and pay him pennies on the dollar compared to these salaries.

i'm banking on a slight upgrade from last year's situation and we figure it out in 2027. from my understanding this is a deep but unexciting class of wide receivers...so am not optimistic on the possibility of a franchise receiver being found. seems like this will be similar to the 2019 class with a lot of borderline 1s and only 1 bonafide #1.

DK is not a #1. overrated. I said it years ago and I still hold to it till this day.

 

[Dah-Dee]

Jennings will never get more than Pierce.

Like most organizations that are in love with their own player, the Colts were going to pay him almost whatever he wanted to stay.

Jennings former club has given up on resigning him at 29 to a rich contract and other teams see that.

He's a solid player but is not elite in production or in breakaway down the field ability.

A consistently productive receiver is valued but not at $30M.

We can draft a potential franchise receiver in April and pay him pennies on the dollar compared to these salaries.

I agree Jennings shouldn't and won't get more than Pierce, or even really close to that, shouldn't have said 'more than Pierce,' sorry got carried away lol.

I'm just speculating that he might be pushing for more than previously planned because of how big the Pierce contract is, and I imagine his agents might push back on the 'solid but not elite' tag by saying he's maybe the best run-blocking WR in the league and also one of the best on contested catches (4th last year), which elevates him from 'really good possession receiver' to 'extremely valuable weapon.'

I'm guessing whoever's negotiating with him might point out that Indy did overpay for a guy with shiny YPC but middling success rate and catch rate numbers. At that point Jennings' reps could say okay, sure, but our guy is definitely more valuable than Robinson (4/70) or Doubs (4/68), we want 4/100 because our guy's blocking and ability to come down with 50/50 balls makes him unique and just about as valuable as you think Pierce really is. Maybe they split the difference and make a deal at 4/85.

 

[Bulldog]

Yeah, Aiyuk is not that young of a player anymore at 28. And coming off a serious injury his shelf life may be limited.

He's another guy that depends on speed rather than route running and being able to make all the catches in the passing tree.

 

[burgold]

Yeah, Aiyuk is not that young of a player anymore at 28. And coming off a serious injury his shelf life may be limited.

He's another guy that depends on speed rather than route running and being able to make all the catches in the passing tree.

And even if his shelf life isn't limited, sometimes we find it takes two years until the receiver gets their mojo back so we don't know how good he can be on the field this year. Aside from the personality issues, we just don't know what kind of player to expect.

 

[Bulldog]

I agree Jennings shouldn't and won't get more than Pierce, or even really close to that, shouldn't have said 'more than Pierce,' sorry got carried away lol.

I'm just speculating that he might be pushing for more than previously planned because of how big the Pierce contract is, and I imagine his agents might push back on the 'solid but not elite' tag by saying he's maybe the best run-blocking WR in the league and also one of the best on contested catches (4th last year), which elevates him from 'really good possession receiver' to 'extremely valuable weapon.'

I'm guessing whoever's negotiating with him might point out that Indy did overpay for a guy with shiny YPC but middling success rate and catch rate numbers. At that point Jennings' reps could say okay, sure, but our guy is definitely more valuable than Robinson (4/70) or Doubs (4/68), we want 4/100 because our guy's blocking and ability to come down with 50/50 balls makes him unique and just about as valuable as you think Pierce really is. Maybe they split the difference and make a deal at 4/85.

Perhaps, but Roseman is not the Colts in terms of negotiating. He's not in love with anyone to the point where he opens the checkbook and asks the player to write in the amount he wants.

Colts haven't won anything of note since 2006.

 

[method man]

Yeah, Aiyuk is not that young of a player anymore at 28. And coming off a serious injury his shelf life may be limited.

He's another guy that depends on speed rather than route running and being able to make all the catches in the passing tree.

Aiyuk is known as an excellent route runner.

 

[Due East]

Yeah, Aiyuk is not that young of a player anymore at 28. And coming off a serious injury his shelf life may be limited.

He's another guy that depends on speed rather than route running and being able to make all the catches in the passing tree.

I always thought what made Aiuk such a interesting player was that he was an absolute elite route runner who could run the tree. Deebo was the guy who was an athlete outside the route tree.

 

[Bulldog]

From watching the 49ers the team seemed to always be looking to Jennings or Kittle to convert key third downs in that intermediate zone.

Aiyuk made a lot of plays but on the outside of the numbers and down the field.

The other thing that stands out about Aiyuk is the relative outperformance he had in 2023 before his contract was up.

His yardage, per catch average, success/win rate, etc. were substantially higher that year. The per catch average went up almost 4 yards from the previous year to 17.9 from 13.0. His success/win rate went over 70% which is almost 10% higher than previous.

Overall he has two 1,000 yard seasons so far going into his 6th NFL season at age 28.

So, looking back on his career is he a solid player? Yes.

Is he a solid player on a good team that had a career year at the right time? Yes, it appears so.

 

[Riggo44]

Leo Chenal is joining Sheenhan on 980 in about 10 mins.

 

[Dah-Dee]

My biggest concern about Aiyuk is the knee, especially given the buzz about issues during rehab, and if he depends more on precise routes than straight-line speed, that makes the knee even more important, planting/cuts/etc.

 

[burgold]

From watching the 49ers the team seemed to always be looking to Jennings or Kittle to convert key third downs in that intermediate zone.

Aiyuk made a lot of plays but on the outside of the numbers and down the field.

The other thing that stands out about Aiyuk is the relative outperformance he had in 2023 before his contract was up.

His yardage, per catch average, success/win rate, etc. were substantially higher that year. The per catch average went up almost 4 yards from the previous year to 17.9 from 13.0.

Overall he has two 1,000 yard seasons so far going into his 6th NFL season at age 28.

So, looking back on his career is he a solid player? Yes.

Is he a solid player on a good team that had a career year at the right time? Yes, it appears so.

This led me to a question that kept bubbling up for me.

Why are the 48ers receivers so unhappy with San Francisco? I mean they always seem to go through hell with all their receivers in terms of either re-signing or just letting them go. Aiyuk, Deebo, and now Jennings... that's a lot of receiver churn. You'd think they would have kept at least one or two.

 

[SkinsOrlando]

This led me to a question that kept bubbling up for me.

Why are the 48ers receivers so unhappy with San Francisco? I mean they always seem to go through hell with all their receivers in terms of either re-signing or just letting them go. Aiyuk, Deebo, and now Jennings... that's a lot of receiver churn. You'd think they would have kept at least one or two.

Kyle treats wide outs like his father did RB's believing his system is more important, why Dad never won without Elway and Kyle ain't won Jack . However, Kyle's losing has created some wonderful memories for me.

 

[Dlts20]

When I close my eyes and think about Daniels last year, all I can see is that Brisker INT in the Chicago game, on the ball intended for Deebo that would have been a walk-in TD if Daniels had been on-time and on-target. I don't think that was Deebo's fault.

Honestly, I'm really sure we can say "not having great targets" was a huge issue. He had Ertz in every game. He had Deebo, arguably a serious upgrade to any receiver not named McLaurin from 2024.

The big differences were McLaurin's injury and Eckler's injury. Admittedly both were a big deal.

As I write this, now I'm wondering if losing Eckler might have been a much bigger deal, for Kliff as well as Jayden.

I just don't know.

I don't think that would have been a TD. It was just a bad decision all around. It would have had to been a perfect play from timing to execution for it to work and even then im not sure it would have.

If I thought about anything from that game, it would have been the fumble. That's when our season and the perception of him started to change but I don't even think about that game because he still played pretty well and outplay Caleb.

Jayden wasn't looking as good as his rookie year but he was still looking pretty darn good in the first half of the season, especially against the Chargers. It wasn't until after that when he started to look like he regressed.

That is why I am not fully worried because he wasn't bad the whole season. We still saw flashes, even while on one leg and with inferior talent around him.

 

[ES1974]

Aiyuk should be viewed a complete roll of the dice move, not a move to be relied upon.

 

[Discobob]

I don't know if this was posted, but it frames the Aiyuk situation differently... also, I don't know this guy...

Basically it's really arguing that SF fired the first shots...

 

[Dah-Dee]

Perhaps, but Roseman is not the Colts in terms of negotiating. He's not in love with anyone to the point where he opens the checkbook and asks the player to write in the amount he wants.

I agree about Roseman, and I think Peters has proven the same thing. I don't have an opinion on Borgonzi at Tennessee, which is where I think Jennings is more likely to land if we don't get him. I'm just speculating about the reasons Jennings might be looking for a deal closer to Pierce than Robinson/Doubs.

 

[ES1974]

The mere thought that Jennings is potentially after $20m-$30m p/y is frightening.

 

[Bulldog]

This led me to a question that kept bubbling up for me.

Why are the 48ers receivers so unhappy with San Francisco? I mean they always seem to go through hell with all their receivers in terms of either re-signing or just letting them go. Aiyuk, Deebo, and now Jennings... that's a lot of receiver churn. You'd think they would have kept at least one or two.

Perhaps it's the brusk handling they get from the front office?

Lynch I always knew was a ***** to deal with but I was not that familiar with Peters as a person and his style, but evidently he is a lit bit sandpaper as well.

 

[Due East]

The mere thought that Jennings is potentially after $20m-$30m p/y is frightening.

INSANITY
I would rather depend on Terry age 33 for $30m. Jennings has been a #3 receiver on a great offense and is coming up on the dreaded age 30 season for receivers. HARD PASS!

 

[Bulldog]

INSANITY
I would rather depend on Terry age 33 for $30m. Jennings has been a #3 receiver on a great offense and is coming up on the dreaded age 30 season for receivers. HARD PASS!

Well, I think if we are depending upon Terry at age 33 in 2027 OR Jennings at 31 by that time who has mostly been a #2 in his career to be the #1, then we are in trouble in EITHER scenario.