Jonnu Smith is not the name driving this market, but the NFL free-agent board is getting thinner by the day as preseason games wind down and August 30 cutdown day comes into view. Bobby Wagner is still the biggest name left unsigned, and that alone tells the story of where the market stands right now.
That matters because the regular season begins in two weeks, and the biggest names who were available have already moved. Jadevon Clowney, Von Miller, Stefon Diggs, Za'Darius Smith, Keenan Allen and Derek Barnett all signed over the last month, leaving Wagner, Taylor Decker and Tyreek Hill among the most recognizable veterans still out there.
Wagner is the anchor of the conversation. He is 36, a six-time first-team All-Pro, and has piled up 2,000 tackles over 14 seasons. He started all 17 games for the Washington Commanders last season and finished with 162 tackles, 4.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss and two interceptions. In March, Brian Schottenheimer made clear how he viewed him, saying he was one of the biggest Bobby Wagner fans in the world and adding, “...I love that guy.”
That kind of resume usually ends any debate about whether a player can still help. The wrinkle here is that Wagner may not be in a hurry. He is likely to play again in 2026, but there is a path where he waits through training camp and signs after roster cuts, when teams have more clarity and more cap flexibility. That would keep him available longer, even as the calendar works against it.
Decker gives the market another angle. He asked to be released after deciding he would rather walk away from the Detroit Lions than take a pay cut this offseason, and he remains available as a starting-caliber left tackle after starting all 140 regular-season games in which he has appeared. The Washington Commanders lost Laremy Tunsil to a torn triceps, are hoping to replace him with an in-house option, and have agreed to sign D.J. Humphries, while the Chicago Bears remain a possible destination for Decker.
That Bears link is not random. Decker played under Ben Johnson when Johnson was Detroit's offensive coordinator, and Johnson is now trying to build what Dan Pompei described as the “highest-scoring offense ever.” At tackle, Chicago still has questions: Ozzy Trapilo is recovering from a torn patellar tendon, Brad Biggs called Braxton Jones the “clear leader” in the competition, and Jones has not looked particularly good in limited preseason action.
Tyreek Hill is the other headline name who remains available in the broad sense of the market, but the real pressure point is timing. Teams are cutting down rosters, veterans are waiting for the right fit, and the best answer on Wagner may not come until after August 30. For now, the search is less about one move than about how long the biggest names can afford to stay on the board.
