Familiar Faces in New Places: The NFL’s Top Offseason Moves in 2026
One of the NFL's biggest offseason moves never happened. Not on paper, anyway.
Yet for four days in March, Maxx Crosby was a Baltimore Raven.
The Las Vegas Raiders had agreed to send their five-time Pro Bowl pass rusher to Baltimore for two first-round draft picks, ending Crosby's seven-year run with the only NFL franchise he'd ever known.
Crosby said goodbye to Raiders fans -- even put out an emotional video saying he let down the franchise. Then he flew to Baltimore to start the next chapter in his career, which started with a standard physical
That's when everything fell apart.
Following the checkup, the Ravens backed out of the deal over concerns about Crosby's surgically repaired knee. The decision set off plenty of questions about what exactly had happened.
The Ravens had known about his knee injury before agreeing to the trade, and Crosby's camp insisted that his recovery was ahead of schedule. But whether due to actual structural concerns or simply having second thoughts, Baltimore's front office changed its mind.
Less than a day later, they agreed to a four-year contract with former Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson. In the meantime, Crosby headed back to Vegas, making his brief stay in Baltimore one of the strangest "trades" in recent NFL history.
Plenty of other stars actually did change uniforms during the NFL offseason, though.
The 2026 offseason delivered its usual mix of blockbuster trades, big-money signings, and surprising departures. So as another NFL season approaches, here are some of the most familiar faces fans will have to get used to seeing wearing different logos this fall.
Trey Hendrickson, DE, Baltimore Ravens
Following the collapse of the Crosby trade, Baltimore signed Trey Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million deal. The four-time Pro Bowler recorded 35 sacks across 2023-24 before injuries limited him to seven games in 2025.
After years of contract tension with Cincinnati, Hendrickson finally got long-term security while remaining in the AFC North, where he'll now get two annual opportunities to chase former teammate Joe Burrow.
Myles Garrett, DE, Los Angeles Rams
Fresh off a record-setting 23-sack season and his second Defensive Player of the Year award, defensive end Myles Garrett seemed destined to remain the face of Cleveland's defense. Instead, the Browns surprised the NFL by sending their all-time sack leader to Los Angeles for DE Jared Verse and three premium draft picks.
At 30, Garrett goes from a rebuilding franchise to a Rams team with Super Bowl aspirations, ending a nine-year Cleveland tenure that produced 125.5 sacks and five first-team All-Pro selections.
Jared Verse, DE, Cleveland Browns
The surprise wasn't simply that the Cleveland Browns traded Garrett. It was that Los Angeles was willing to include Verse.
The 25-year-old won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024 and made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons, generating 80 pressures in 2025. Cleveland reportedly wouldn't make the Garrett deal without him.
Now Verse gets the unenviable job of succeeding a franchise legend, though he's made clear he's coming to Cleveland to make his one mark on the franchise.
A.J. Brown, WR, New England Patriots
After months of rumors, A.J. Brown finally landed in New England when Philadelphia dealt the three-time Pro Bowler for a 2028 first-round pick and 2027 fifth-rounder.
Brown still topped 1,000 yards for the fourth straight season in 2025, but frustration with his role and the Eagles' offense helped make a fresh start inevitable. Now he reunites with former Titans coach Mike Vrabel while giving Drake Maye a proven No. 1 target.
D.J. Moore, WR, Buffalo Bills
After three seasons in Chicago, where he served as the No. 1 receiver for a rising Caleb Williams, D.J. Moore was dealt to Buffalo along with a fifth-round pick for the 60th overall selection.
The move followed his least productive NFL season, as Moore finished with career lows in catches (50) and receiving yards (682). Buffalo, meanwhile, badly needed another weapon for Josh Allen.
As for Moore, he gets a fresh start by reuniting with Joe Brady, under whom he produced consecutive 1,100-yard seasons in Carolina.
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Denver Broncos
After falling short of the Super Bowl, Denver went big to give Bo Nix another weapon, sending first-, third- and fourth-round picks to Miami for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and a fourth-rounder.
The former No. 6 pick had three 1,000-yard seasons in Miami, though he hasn't reached that mark since 2023. Now his speed gives Denver a dangerous complement to Courtland Sutton as the Broncos try to turn an AFC Championship appearance into a 2026 Super Bowl run.
Trent McDuffie, CB, Los Angeles Rams
After an NFC Championship loss exposed holes in their secondary, the LA Rams found their solution in Kansas City. Los Angeles sent four draft picks, including No. 29 overall, to the Chiefs for cornerback Trent McDuffie, then gave him a four-year, $124 million extension.
The 25-year-old brings two Super Bowl rings and two All-Pro selections to L.A. In turn, Kansas City gets valuable draft capital rather than facing McDuffie's rising price tag.
Dexter Lawrence II, DT, Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati made an unusually aggressive move before the draft, sending the No. 10 overall pick to New York for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II, then extending him through 2028.
The three-time Pro Bowler had requested a trade amid a contract dispute following a down 2025 season that produced only half a sack. Still, Lawrence remains one of football's premier interior disruptors, and the Bengals are betting he can anchor a defense that needed serious help while Joe Burrow remains in his championship window.
Kyler Murray, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Arizona finally pulled the plug on the Kyler Murray era, releasing the former No. 1 pick despite absorbing a massive $54.7 million cap hit. Minnesota quickly scooped up the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback for the league minimum, giving him a chance to revive a career derailed by injuries and losing seasons.
After beating out J.J. McCarthy for the starting job, Murray now gets Kevin O'Connell, Justin Jefferson and a legitimate opportunity to prove he's still a franchise quarterback.
Kenneth Walker III, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Talk about cashing in at the right time. Weeks after rushing for 135 yards and earning Super Bowl LX MVP honors for Seattle, Kenneth Walker II signed a three-year deal with Kansas City worth up to $45 million.
The 25-year-old running back also topped 1,000 rushing yards in 2025 and led the NFL with 313 yards and four touchdowns during the postseason. Now, Patrick Mahomes finally gets the explosive lead back Kansas City's offense has lacked in recent years.
Mike Evans, WR, San Francisco 49ers
For the first time in his Hall of Fame-caliber career, Mike Evans will wear something other than a Buccaneers uniform. After 12 seasons, a Super Bowl title, and franchise records for catches, yards and touchdowns, the six-time Pro Bowler signed a three-year, $60.4 million deal with San Francisco.
Injuries limited Evans to 368 yards in 2025, snapping his NFL-record streak of 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons to begin a career. Now, at 33, he's in position to chase another championship.
Tyler Linderbaum, C, Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas needed to rebuild an offensive line that allowed an NFL-high 55 sacks in 2025, and it paid handsomely for the centerpiece. Tyler Linderbaum left Baltimore for a three-year, $81 million deal, making him the NFL's highest-paid center by a wide margin.
The 25-year-old from Iowa made three straight Pro Bowls while anchoring one of football's best rushing attacks. Now he's being paid to help protect No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza and open lanes for Ashton Jeanty.
John Harbaugh, Head Coach, NY Giants
After 18 remarkably successful seasons in Baltimore, John Harbaugh became a free agent when the Ravens fired him following an 8-9 where he missed the playoffs. And he didn't stay unemployed long.
The Giants quickly landed the Super Bowl-winning coach on a five-year deal. Harbaugh brings 180 regular-season wins, 12 playoff appearances, and six division titles to a franchise coming off a 4-13 season and searching for some long-term stability.
The Offseason That Reshuffled the League
In the end, the trade that never happened may say more about the 2026 offseason than any of the deals that did. Crosby’s four-day detour to Baltimore was a reminder of how fragile even “done” deals can be, while the moves that stuck reshaped the league’s landscape in ways few saw coming. From Cleveland trading away its all-time sack leader to a Super Bowl MVP running back cashing in within weeks of his title, this offseason proved that no player, no matter how established, is safe from a new jersey. As training camps wrap up and the season kicks off, fans across the league will be doing a double take at rosters that look nothing like they did a year ago.