The 2026 Free Agency Thread

Why wouldn’t his rep suffer? He eventually caved and accepted the same offer he’d been sitting on for months because he and his agent far overestimated their leverage and wanted to make a joke of the WR market, which we didn’t allow. It hurt the entire team, so it’s not like it was some feather in AP’s cap, he came out of it looking “correct, but at what price?” so I’m not describing this situation as if Terry is the villain and our FO are the heroes. It was just an unfortunate situation, with Terry’s ego or trust in his agent or both featuring prominently.

But Terry ruined his own season sitting out, then predictably dealing with injuries all season, falling right into the trend and fear of 30-year old WR’s being less healthy. Retroactively making his stubbornness about not wanting his age to impact his contract (which is basically never avoided in the NFL) look even more foolish and delusional than it did before he got hurt.

He did all that just to take the same contract he could’ve taken months earlier, killed the good vibes around the team, said a lot of wack shit about the org that had ALREADY overpaid him once, that he doubled down on even after getting paid, because his ego was still hurt.

I have no interest in comparing that situation to Aiyuk, not a lane I’m driving in, I just can’t let the whitewashing of what actually happened with Terry pass either. The dude will never be looked at the same by anyone I know, unless we win a SB. Then all is forgiven. But he let us get a peek of the real Terry underneath all the polish imo and I didn’t like it. That’s why I don’t get sttached to these guys or consume stories about their personal lives, off-field interests, charity work, etc. I don’t watch the cute little videos the social media team does unless a particularly funny bit goes viral and I see it. Don’t watch interviews that aren’t directly football related.

Don’t get me wrong, I want to have generally good guys on the team but I never let it get to a point of parasocially believing I know the type of dudes they really are. Terry was an excellent example. Again, not making him a villain, I don’t begrudge these guys doing what they feel they have to in order to get paid and take care of their families, although I think he was particularly stubborn, incorrect, and/or mislead and it was hard to witness a guy be so wrong about his own value and talent. So I get it, but I don’t have to like them for it and I know many who feel the same. The warm and fuzzies are gone with Terry for most people I know, it’s all business now as he wanted it. Unless we win something real, that’ll be his legacy for most people I interact with about the team.

Conn said:

The warm and fuzzies are gone with Terry for most people I know, it’s all business now as he wanted it. Unless we win something real, that’ll be his legacy for most people I interact with about the team.

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I agree, It seems like that's a good number of people. however, if being a diva and ruining the vibes of the team is such a sticking point it's not logically consistent, in my mind, to want to get someone like Brandon Aiyuk, Stefon Diggs, George Pickens, etc. it just seems like, because Terry wasn't the complete boy scout Fitz was, that people are over-reacting, at least imo. both sides were in a standoff and unwilling to budge. iirc, the front office wasn't even in communication with Terry for a couple months until he had that one interview. this is not all terry's fault even if his asking price was unreasonably high.

also, there is no whitewashing of what happened with Terry, at least on this forum lol. I'm probably one of the few that are arguing for it, so to speak.

skinsinparadise said:

I think you're conflating two completely different narratives.

A. The reporting from both the local and national media was that the contract impasse centered on Terry seeking somewhere between $35 million and $40 million per year, depending on the report, and was not willing to budge for a long time. That's why the negotiations dragged on.

B. Separately, Terry argued that he shouldn't be judged like the typical 30-plus receiver because he believed he'd be the exception to the normal aging curve and production decline.

You can compare that to Courtland Sutton, who was negotiating during the same period. Sutton took a team-friendly deal and openly talked about wanting to stay in Denver because he believed they could compete for a championship. Terry, meanwhile, was taking public shots at the front office, skipping camp, and later admitted he genuinely wanted to be traded during the impasse.

Does that make Terry a bad guy? Not at all. NFL careers are short, and players have every right to maximize their leverage. But it did change my perception of him. Before all of this, I viewed Terry as someone who would bend to stay with the organization. After watching how he handled the negotiations, I see him much more as a mercenary. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but it's different from the image some fans—including me—had of him.

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Courtland Sutton, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, etc. if you are going to compare and judge Terry's character based on those players you also have to judge him against the ones that are examples of the worst divas. Terry falls in the middle, if anything. words you use, like "mercenary", are why I have it in my head you have it out for Terry.

prodigy said:

I agree, It seems like that's a good number of people. however, if being a diva and ruining the vibes of the team is such a sticking point it's not logically consistent, in my mind, to want to get someone like Brandon Aiyuk, Stefon Diggs, George Pickens, etc. it just seems like, because Terry wasn't the complete boy scout Fitz was, that people are over-reacting, at least imo. both sides were in a standoff and unwilling to budge. iirc, the front office wasn't even in communication with Terry for a couple months until he had that one interview. this is not all terry's fault even if his asking price was unreasonably high.

also, there is no whitewashing of what happened with Terry, at least on this forum lol. I'm probably one of the few that are arguing for it, so to speak.

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Diggs by reputation is a good teammate. Off the field issues for sure. Aiyuk just comes off VERY strange. Different deal than Diggs.

skinsinparadise said:

Diggs by reputation is a good teammate. Off the field issues for sure. Aiyuk just comes off VERY strange. Different deal than Diggs.

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Trust me, I prefer diggs by a mile. However, you are forgetting in-game/sideline antics and throwing teammates, especially QBs, under the bus when he's not happy with them.

prodigy said:

Courtland Sutton, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, etc. if you are going to compare and judge Terry's character based on those players you also have to judge him against the ones that are examples of the worst divas. Terry falls in the middle, if anything. words you use, like "mercenary", are why I have it in my head you have it out for Terry.

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By "mercenary," I simply mean someone whose top priority is getting the highest contract, regardless of the team, and who places that above staying with one organization or chasing a championship. There are plenty of players like that. It doesn't make Terry a bad guy, and I'm not saying it does.

What moves Terry a step beyond the typical hard negotiator, in my mind, is how far he's willing to go. He was prepared to skip the entire offseason, requested a trade, and then later doubled down by saying he genuinely meant it. Not every player seeking a new contract is willing to take negotiations that far. Plenty of players still report to camp, and many never publicly ask to be traded. And plenty will actually play out the contract.

The other thing that stands out is that this apparently wasn't a one-time event. From what Keim has said, Terry was just as tough during his previous contract negotiation. As I understand it, those talks weren't trending toward a deal until Dan Snyder stepped in because he wanted the positive PR of extending Terry. Whether that's completely accurate or not, it reinforces the idea that this is simply Terry's negotiating style. When he wants a contract, he's willing to push the process to the absolute limit to get it.

skinsinparadise said:

By "mercenary," I simply mean someone whose top priority is getting the highest contract, regardless of the team, and who places that above staying with one organization or chasing a championship. There are plenty of players like that. It doesn't make Terry a bad guy, and I'm not saying it does.

What moves Terry a step beyond the typical hard negotiator, in my mind, is how far he's willing to go. He was prepared to skip the entire offseason, requested a trade, and then later doubled down by saying he genuinely meant it. Not every player seeking a new contract is willing to take negotiations that far. Plenty of players still report to camp, and many never publicly ask to be traded. And plenty will actually play out the contract.

The other thing that stands out is that this apparently wasn't a one-time event. From what Keim has said, Terry was just as tough during his previous contract negotiation. As I understand it, those talks weren't trending toward a deal until Dan Snyder stepped in because he wanted the positive PR of extending Terry. Whether that's completely accurate or not, it reinforces the idea that this is simply Terry's negotiating style. When he wants a contract, he's willing to push the process to the absolute limit to get it.

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if the evaluation of Terry was just that he's a low-end number 1, he's old, he hurt the team coming off of 2024's momentum, and he's a terrible negotiator that shouldn't have every aired any laundry I'd be fine. word like mercenary and diva have connotations beyond that. I can separate the business side of things from loyalty to his teammates and coaches, commitment to the organization, and dedication to his craft. stefon diggs is a mercenary. not Terry. he just asked for money than he was worth and was stubborn with it. anyway, i'm beating a dead horse again over an event that has long passed. my bad. I'll let it go...for now lol.

prodigy said:

I agree, It seems like that's a good number of people. however, if being a diva and ruining the vibes of the team is such a sticking point it's not logically consistent, in my mind, to want to get someone like Brandon Aiyuk, Stefon Diggs, George Pickens, etc. it just seems like, because Terry wasn't the complete boy scout Fitz was, that people are over-reacting, at least imo. both sides were in a standoff and unwilling to budge. iirc, the front office wasn't even in communication with Terry for a couple months until he had that one interview. this is not all terry's fault even if his asking price was unreasonably high.

also, there is no whitewashing of what happened with Terry, at least on this forum lol. I'm probably one of the few that are arguing for it, so to speak.

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We forgive a lot of drama that didn’t happen to us personally. How many people would be married today if they held their partner’s past relationship drama against them? 😂

Signing a football player is a different sort of relationship lol, and I’m over the Aiyuk thing after all this tbh even though I want help for Daniels. But I can see how people compartmentalize drama that happened elsewhere, if they convince themselves the player will be a model citizen with us. With Terry, it happened here and to us, and feels more personal to many. People tend to hold past indiscretions against mercenaries much less, even better if they actually produce while here.

prodigy said:

Courtland Sutton, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, etc. if you are going to compare and judge Terry's character based on those players you also have to judge him against the ones that are examples of the worst divas. Terry falls in the middle, if anything. words you use, like "mercenary", are why I have it in my head you have it out for Terry.

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I’m always defending the honor of people whose behavior I find to be “in the middle, if anything”

Very worth it

(I just wanted to make a funny post, I’m not actually trying to slam you for this. It just made me chuckle)

prodigy said:

if the evaluation of Terry was just that he's a low-end number 1, he's old, he hurt the team coming off of 2024's momentum, and he's a terrible negotiator that shouldn't have every aired any laundry I'd be fine. word like mercenary and diva have connotations beyond that. I can separate the business side of things from loyalty to his teammates and coaches, commitment to the organization, and dedication to his craft. stefon diggs is a mercenary. not Terry. he just asked for money than he was worth and was stubborn with it. anyway, i'm beating a dead horse again over an event that has long passed. my bad. I'll let it go...for now lol.

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Edit: sorry for quoting you three times in a row, didn’t realize these were all your posts lol. I think you’re generally handling this conversation well despite disagreeing with you

I’m also willing to just let this go, it’s long past its expiration date lol, but I think these words just bother you for reasons that only you could figure out. They aren’t inherently derogatory, they’re just descriptive.

He demanded a trade, then after accepting the same contract offer he demanded a trade over, reiterated that it was a serious request and NOT a negotiating tactic.

That is by definition not “commitment to the organization”. It is mercenary behavior.

He had the chance to brush it under the rug after getting paid and be gracious. He decided to double down and confirm for all the fans he wanted to be traded due to his greed and poor read on the situation. That is diva behavior.

It’s okay. We’re all here, he’s here, hopefully we win a bunch of games before he retires or leaves.

But what he did and how he chose to do it, before and after getting paid, stretched beyond just negotiating. It was diva behavior and showed he was willing to be a mercenary, if it got him what he wanted through the media. It didn’t, and now we all have to pretend he values being here in Washington so much? Nah. Hopefully he goes 80/1300/10 this year and we can just let it be the past.

Good news guys

I can see right through what Aiyuk is doing. I don't think he's "crazy" he is simply doing what he can to force the Niners to release him. It's an odd method but being a pain in the ass may ultimately work, do they really want this dragging on all summer?

I get the concern, I really do. But if he is signed and goes for 7/93/TD in the opener all will be forgotten and forgiven. I know it's an odd way to go about it, and strange things happen in this league, but we could luck into getting a legit #1 WR, a HUGE need, because of all of this madness. I'm willing to take a shot.

PS I agree with the posts critical of Terry and how he handled the negotiations last summer and don't put much fault with the team. They made a fair offer earlier, an offer he ultimately accepted, and his stubbornness ruined his season and had a lot to do with how the team performed in 2025.

During the Snyder era someone would have found proof of some sort of statement from the team and we get fined and maybe possess a draft picks

We should create a poll...

Diggs
or
Aiyuk

I need a signing or the start of training camp soon, my contributions here lately are about lawn equipment.

RedWolf said:

We should create a poll...

Diggs
or
Aiyuk

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Or trade a 5th for Boutte

RedWolf said:

We should create a poll...

Diggs
or
Aiyuk

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Confirmed he has not had an agent for a long time, apparently. Which feels obvious: