The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished 8-9 in 2025, and were eliminated from the postseason with a Week 18 loss by New Orleans, despite a 6-2 start to the season.

Tampa Bay carries around $32M of projected cap space into 2026, against an estimated $304M league threshold. This figure includes 38 contracts (plus a void cap for Mike Evans, and an option salary for Riley Dixon). QB Baker Mayfield enters the year carrying a $51.9M cap figure, while 5 other players hold a cap hit north of $20M.

The Bucs have all of their 2026 draft picks intact, and are not currently projected to be awarded any compensatory selections for the upcoming league year. Future Tampa Bay Draft Picks

Early Offseason Questions

• Will HC Todd Bowles’ tenure in Tampa Bay continue into 2026? The 4-year Bucs coach signed an extension through 2028 prior to this past season.
• As he heads into a contract year, what lies ahead for QB Baker Mayfield, who battled injury and inconsistent play through much of the final half of the 2025 campaign?
• Will Tampa Bay turn the page on legends Mike Evans, Lavonte David, and potentially a few others, signifying a big move to flip the roster over?

Notable Free Agents

(Spotrac’s Valuation APY)

WR Mike Evans ($13.5M)
CB Jamel Dean ($13M)
DL Logan Hall ($8M)
TE Cade Otton ($7.7M)
LB Lavonte David ($7.5M)
RB Rachaad White ($7.5M)
ED Haason Reddick ($5M)
WR Sterling Shepard ($3.3M)

VIEW ALL FREE AGENTS

Option Decision

DL Calijah Kancey

A #19 overall pick out of Pitt, Kancey was looking to build off of a breakout campaign in 2024 (8 sacks, 1 forced fumble), but was limited to just 2 2025 games due to a torn pec. The Bucs will need to decide on a projected $14.25M 5th-year option for Kancey by May 1st.

Extension Candidate

QB Baker Mayfield

This time last year, it was simply a matter of when - not if - Mayfield would be securing a near top of the market QB contract extension. But it’s without question to say that 2025 was a rough go for the 30-year-old. Just how much of the backslide can be attributed to injury remains unknown to us outsiders, but there’s at least some question as to if the Bucs organization lost a little confidence in Mayfield’s role as a multi-year franchise QB1. The 30-year-old is currently set to earn $40M in 2026, against a team-high $51.9M cap hit. Production-wise, Baker’s 2-year resume falls somewhere in between Jared Goff and Dak Prescott, which in turn means financially speaking his price point falls in between $53M, and $60M. The math currently calls for a 4 year, $215M extension ($53.5M APY).

DL Vita Vea

The 30-year-old has been reliable, consistent, and productive for the last 5+ seasons in Tampa Bay, and is heading into a contract year in 2026, set to earn $18M against a $22.2M cap hit. Vea holds a 3 year, $45M projection in our system.

Chase McLaughlin

The 29-year-old, who has proven to be one of the most reliable legs in all of football, is heading into a contract season in 2026, set to earn $3.8M. He projects toward a 3 year, $17M extension.

Potential Cap Conversions

All of OT Tristan Wirfs’ $26M salary for 2026 is currently fully guaranteed. A full salary conversion (plus 1 void year) can open up $19.8M of cap.

S Antoine Winfield Jr.’s 2026 salary isn’t guaranteed, but the 27-year-old seems largely engrained into the future of the Bucs, and could even be considered a fringe extension candidate this offseason (2 years, $39M remaining). A salary conversion opens up over $14M of room.

All of OT Luke Goedeke’s 2026 salary is fully guaranteed. Processing a simple salary conversion on it frees up $16.7M of cap.

Contract extensions for QB Baker Mayfield ($51.9M cap hit), & DL Vita Vea ($22.2M cap hit) can free up significant cap space.

WR Chris Godwin’s $33.6M cap hit for 2026 currently ranks 3rd on the team. A full salary conversion (plus void years) can free up $16.5M of space, but Godwin’s injury history may have Tampa Bay thinking twice about pushing any additional cap dollars down the line.

RELATED LINKS
2026 Buccaneers Salary Cap
Buccaneers 2026 Free Agents
Spotrac’s Offseason Guide

The Carolina Panthers finished 2025 with an 8-9 record, tied with Tampa Bay atop the NFC South. It's a strong step forward from a franchise that went 2-15, and 5-12 respectively over the prior two seasons.

Carolina currently holds around $40M of projected cap space against an estimated $304M league threshold for 2026. This includes 39 contracts on the books (though two are set to void in early March). With 5 cap hits currently north of $20M, the Panthers should have some wiggle room to push their available space into aggressive territory, if they so desire.

The Panthers currently boast 7 draft picks, including two 5th-rounders (from Minnesota in the Adam Thielen trade).

Early Offseason Questions

• Has QB Bryce Young done enough to warrant the 5th-year option? A multi-year extension?
• With momentum growing on the offensive side of the ball, will Carolina be a dark horse team to land a notable veteran weapon via free agency or a trade this offseason?
• As he approaches free agency, is Rico Dowdle the RB1 of the future? Can Jonathan Brooks be trusted after 2 ACL injuries? Can Chuba Hubbard regain the position at top form?

Notable Free Agents

(Spotrac Market Valuation)

C Cade Mays ($12M)
RB Rico Dowdle ($7.6M)
LB D.J. Wonnum ($5.6M)
S Nick Scott ($5M)
LB Christian Rozeboom ($3M)

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Option Decision

QB Bryce Young

The 2023 #1 overall pick has rounded into form across the past season and half, putting pressure on Carolina to consider exercising the projected $27M option for 2027. The Panthers are expected to lock in that salary at present time.

Extension Candidate

LT Ikem Ekwonu

The 2022 1st Round pick has progressed nicely over the past two seasons, and maybe more importantly, as remained reliable and available across his first four seasons in Carolina. The Panthers exercised a $17.56M option salary for 2026, but a multi-year extension is very much in play this offseason. The 25-year-old projects toward a 4 year, $86M contract in our system.

Bubble Candidates

RB Chuba Hubbard

Trade Candidate

$4.5M of Hubbard’s 2026 salary is already fully guaranteed, so an outright release isn’t likely here. But it’s possible that Carolina can secure a trade partner for what is essentially a 1 year, $6M contract going forward (2 years, $16.7M non-guaranteed thereafter). The Panthers can free up almost $3M of cap per an early offseason trade.

TE Tommy Tremble

Release Candidate

Signed a 2 year, $10.5M free agent contract this past March, but has since fallen down the depth chart a bit. Carolina may look to get out of this contract before a $2M salary guarantee kicks in on March 15th, freeing up $4.3M of cap space in doing so.

Potential Cap Conversions

All of DE Derrick Brown’s 2026 salary will be fully guaranteed by March 13th. Converting it to bonus can open up $14.3M of cap space.

All of CB Jaycee Horn’s 2026 salary is fully guaranteed. A full salary conversion (plus one void year) can open up $12.7M of space.

All of S Trevon Moehrig’s 2026 salary is fully guaranteed. A full salary conversion (plus three void years) can free up over $11M.

All of RT Taylor Moton’s 2026 salary is fully guaranteed. Processing a full salary conversion (plus two void years) can open up over $10M of cap.

All of DE Tershawn Wharton’s 2026 salary is fully guaranteed. Processing a full salary conversion (plus three void years) can open up over $10.2M of cap.

LT Ikem Ekwonu holds a fully guaranteed $17.56M cash/cap hit for 2026. A contract extension would almost certainly lower this figure for the upcoming season.

RELATED LINKS
2026 Panthers Salary Cap Table
Panthers 2026 Free Agents
Spotrac Offseason Guides

The Designated Player Rule (nicknamed the Beckham Rule), came into existence ahead of the 2007 MLS Season.

Whenever a Major League Soccer team looks to construct its roster, the most renowned spots on their roster are often Designated Players.

The rule, which is informally named after David Beckham (the first ever Designated Player), is one of two mechanisms where MLS teams may exceed their salary cap (the other being allocation money) and allow them to acquire and retain world-class talent

Here at Spotrac, we’re breaking down the rules, current, all-time & history of Designated Players.

Before 2007, MLS clubs were heavily restricted when it came to spending big on international stars due to their very low budgets & strict salary cap, however, prior to the start of the 2007 season, things changed.

With rumors circulating in Spain that legendary English midfielder David Beckham was rumored to join MLS side LA Galaxy, the league had to reformat many of the rules.

In November of 2006, the league approved new rules that gave MLS teams the authority to acquire one player per team outside of the $2,000,000 per-team salary cap.

On July 13, 2007, David Beckham became the first player in Major League Soccer history to sign as a Designated Player in MLS. Beckham agreed to a five-year contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy with over $6,500,000.

This monumental decision opened the door for international stars to join MLS, boosting the league’s profile on the world stage.

Since the Designated Player Rule’s inception in 2007, the league has undergone plenty of changes, including evolutions of the rule, now allowing multiple DPs, an increased salary budget cap (now at $5,950,000), and plenty more. Below, we go into detail on the current rules and how they affect MLS rosters.

Designated Player Rules

Designated Players

The number of Designated Player Slots available to each team is based on the club’s roster construction model they choose at the beginning of the respective season. For the 2025 season, clubs had to declare their path by February 21, 2025, which was the MLS roster compliance date.

A player's Salary Budget Charge, and therefore Designated Player status, is generally determined by averaging all guaranteed amounts payable over the guaranteed term.

In 2025, a Designated Player who is at least 24 years old during the League Year will carry the Maximum Salary Budget Charge ($743,750) unless the player joins his club after the opening of the Secondary Transfer Window, in which case his budget charge will be $371,875.

Clubs may "buy down" the Salary Budget Charge of a Designated Player with General Allocation Money. The reduced budget charge may not be less than $150,000.

Clubs may trade a Designated Player or U22 Initiative Player, remain responsible for some or all future out of pocket costs, and shed the Designated Player or U22 Initiative Player slot designation under the following limitations:

• Up to one Designated Player traded per year (two total “active” at any given time)

• Up to one U22 Initiative Player traded per year (two total “active” at any given time)

• Player may only be traded beginning in his second MLS season

• Roster Slot Designation (Designated Player or U22 Initiative slot) must be held by one of the two trading teams

Transfer of a Designated Player:

If a Designated Player, who is eligible to be bought down, is transferred out of MLS, the club may convert the transfer fee to General Allocation Money only after all prior out-of-pocket amounts are recouped. If the Designated Player is not eligible to be bought down, then General Allocation money may not be taken from the transfer. This also applies to Young Designated Players.

Young Designated Players

A Designated Player who is 23 years old (or younger than the age of 23) during the League Year (the age of the player is determined by year - not date - of birth) will carry the following Young Designated Player Salary Budget Charge:

• Ages 20 and younger: ($150,000)

• Ages 21-23: ($200,000)

If a Young Designated Player joins the club after the opening of the Secondary Transfer Window, he will carry the Mid-Season Young Designated Player Salary Budget Charge of $150,000.

Each club will be allotted up to three Designated Player roster slots based on the roster construction model they choose at the beginning of the year. Clubs with two Designated Players may add a third Designated Player by paying $150,000 to the League, which shall be split among clubs with two or fewer occupied Designated Player slots for use as General Allocation Money in the following MLS season. Clubs must pay the $150,000 fee every year in which a third Designated Player slot is occupied on the club's roster.

If a club uses the third Designated Player slot to sign a Young Designated Player, then the club will not be obligated to pay the $150,000 charge.

One important note: Designated Player slots are not tradable.

As of January 1, 2026, there have been 373 Designated Players in MLS history. Currently, there are 63 Active Designated Players in MLS.

Active Designated Players & their 2025 guaranteed salaries

Quick Caveat: All Salaries are based on the information provided on the MLSPA Salary Guide (as of October 1, 2025). 

Players that have recently been signed to DP deals will be listed but will have their salary as N/A

1. Lionel Messi - $20,446,667

2. Son Hueng-Min - $11,152,852

3. Miguel Almirón - $7,871,000

4. Hirving “Chucky” Lozano - $7,633,333

5. Emil Forsberg - $6,035,625

6. Riqui Puig - $5,779,688

7. Jonathan Bamba - $5,581,806

8. Hany Mukhtar - $5,311,667

9. Evander - $4,736,411

10. Carles Gil - $4,702,083

11. Joseph Paintsil - $4,182,000

12. Emmanuel Latte Lath - $4,030,546

13. Luis Muriel - $4,003,333

14. Kévin Denkey - $3,810,000

15. Denis Bouanga - $3,709,500

16. Ryan Gauld - $3,675,000

17. Nicolás Fernández - $3,650,000

18. Jonathan Rodríguez - $3,627,500

19. Rodrigo De Paul - $3,619,320

20. Brandon Vázquez - $3,551,778

21. Eric Maxim Chuopo-Moting - $3,530,667

22. Hugo Cuypers - $3,528,044

23. Diego Rossi - $3,426,827

24. David Da Costa - $3,425,000

25. Dejan Joveljić - $3,306,250

26. Sam Surridge - $3,182,639

27. Kristoffer Velde - $3,027,000

28. Ezequiel Ponce - $2,852,200

29. Wilfried Zaha - $2,751,667

30. Petar Musa - $2,680,000

31. Dániel Gazdag - $2,597,643

32. Albert Rushnak - $2,575,000

33. Liel Abada - $2,548,500

34. Gabriel Pec - $2,459,000

35. Anders Dreyer - $2,434,314

36. Manu Garcia - $2,325,313

37. Djordje Mihailovic - $2,278,335

38. Jordan Morris - $2,260,000

39. Paxten Aaronson - $2,228,063

40. Myrto Uzuni - $2,225,000

41. Cristian “Chico” Arango - $2,216,667

42. Marcel Hartel - $2,183,113

43. Thiago Martins - $2,162,000

44. Wessam Abou Ali - $2,157,375

45. Iván Jaime - $1,991,200

46. Rwan Cruz - $1,858,426

47. Diogo Gonçalves - $1,797,108

48. Marco Pašalić - $1,650,667

49. Kelvin Yeboah - $1,447,200

50. Rafael Navarro - $1,449,600

51. Thomas Müller - $1,436,956

52. Pedro de la Vega - $1,379,000

53. João Klauss - $1,370,284

54. Andres Cubas - $1,146,375

55. Talles Magno - $1,065,000

56. Tomás Chancalay - $1,060,000

57. Martín Ojeda - $1,032,600

58. Artur - $893,375

59. Ondřej Lingr - $888,082

60. Joaquin Pereyra - $754,800

61. Bruno Damiani - $726,700

62. Tai Baribo - N/A

63. Guilherme - N/A

Designated Player History by Club

Quick Caveat: The below list indicates players who have had their contract assigned as a Designated Player (DP) contract during their time in MLS. Players may have not always had a DP contract, or have later had their contract negotiated below a DP level. Similarly, some players have been in MLS whose salary has been at a DP level, but the club has opted to bring their salary below the DP threshold using General Allocation Money or Targeted Allocation Money.

Former MLS Sides Miami Fusion & Tampa Bay Mutiny were dissolved prior to the introduction of the Designated Player Rule, hence their non-involvement in this article.

Players in bold are currently signed to a DP contract by their club. Players highlighted in yellow have won MLS MVP in their career.

Atlanta United FC

• Héctor Villalba (2017)

• Miguel Almirón (2017-18, 2025 - Present)

• Josef Martínez (2017-22)

• Ezequiel Barco (2018-21)

• Pity Martínez (2019-20)

• Marcelino Moreno (2020)

• Alan Franco (2021)

• Luiz Araújo (2021-23)

• Thiago Almada (2022-23)

• Giorgos Giakoumakis (2023-24)

• Saba Lobzhanidze (2023)

• Stian Rode Gregersen (2024)

• Aleksei Miranchuk (2024 - Present)

• Emmanuel Latte Lath (2025 - Present)

Austin FC

• Cecilio Domínguez (2021-22)

• Tomás Pochettino (2021)

• Sebastián Driussi (2021-24)

• Alexander Ring (2022-24)

• Emiliano Rigoni (2022-24)

• Osman Bukari (2024-25)

• Brandon Vázquez (2025 - Present)

• Myrto Uzuni (2025 - Present)

Charlotte FC

• Jordy Alcívar (2022)

• Karol Świderski (2022-23, 2024)

• Kamil Jóźwiak (2022-23)

• Enzo Copetti (2023-24)

• Liel Abada (2024 - Present)

• Pep Biel (2024)

• Wilfried Zaha (2025 - Present)

Chicago Fire FC

• Cuauhtémoc Blanco (2007-09)

• Freddie Ljungberg (2010)

• Nery Castillo (2010)

• Álvaro Fernández (2012-13)

• Sherjill MacDonald (2012-13)

• Federico Puppo (2012-14)

• Egidio Arévalo Ríos (2013)

• Juan Luis Anangonó (2013-14)

• Gilberto (2015-16)

• David Accam (2015-17)

• Shaun Maloney (2015)

• Kennedy Igboananike (2015-16)

• Nemanja Nikolić (2017-19)

• Bastian Schweinsteiger (2017-19)

• Aleksander Katai (2019)

• Robert Berić (2020-21)

• Ignacio Aliseda (2020-21)

• Gastón Giménez (2020-22, 2024)

• Xherdan Shaqiri (2022-24)

• Jairo Torres (2022-23)

• Ousmane Doumbia (2023)

• Hugo Cuypers (2024 - Present)

• Jonathan Bamba (2025 - Present)

Chivas USA (defunct)

• Juan Pablo Ángel (2011-12)

• Oswaldo Minda (2012-14)

• Shalrie Joseph (2012)

• Erick Torres (2013-14)

• Mauro Rosales (2014)

FC Cincinnati

• Fanendo Adi (2019)

• Allan Cruz (2019-20)

• Yuya Kubo (2020, 2021-22)

• Jürgen Locadia (2020-21)

• Brenner (2021-23)

• Luciano Acosta (2021-24)

• Obinna Nwobodo (2022-24)

• Aaron Boupendza (2023-24)

• Kévin Denkey (2025 - Present)

• Evander (2025 - Present)

Colorado Rapids

• Gabriel Torres (2013-15)

• Juan Ramírez (2015-17)

• Kevin Doyle (2015-16)

• Shkëlzen Gashi (2016-18)

• Tim Howard (2016-19)

• Younes Namli (2020-21)

• Gyasi Zardes (2022)

• Kévin Cabral (2023-25)

• Andreas Maxsø (2023)

• Rafael Navarro (2023 - Present)

• Djordje Mihailovic (2023-25)

• Paxten Aaronson (2025 - Present)

Columbus Crew

• Guillermo Barros Schelotto (2009-10)

• Andrés Mendoza (2010-11)

• Federico Higuaín (2012-19)

• Kei Kamara (2016)

• Jonathan Mensah (2017)

• Pedro Santos (2017-19)

• Gyasi Zardes (2019-22)

• Darlington Nagbe (2020-25)

• Lucas Zelarayán (2020-23)

• Cucho Hernández (2022-24)

• Diego Rossi (2023 - Present)

• Dániel Gazdag (2025 - Present)

• Wessam Abou Ali (2025 - Present)

FC Dallas

• Denílson (2007)

• David Ferreira (2009-13)

• Fabián Castillo (2011-15)

• Julian de Guzman (2012)

• Eric Hassli (2013)

• Mauro Díaz (2013-16)

• Andrés Escobar (2014)

• David Texeira (2014-15)

• Carlos Gruezo (2016-18)

• Aníbal Chalá (2017)

• Cristian Colmán (2017-18)

• Santiago Mosquera (2018-20)

• Bryan Acosta (2019-21)

• Pablo Aránguiz (2019)

• Franco Jara (2020-22)

• Jesús Ferreira (2022-24)

• Alan Velasco (2022-24)

• Petar Musa (2024 - Present)

• Luciano Acosta (2025)

D.C. United

• Luciano Emílio (2008-09)

• Marcelo Gallardo (2008)

• Branko Bošković (2010-12)

• Dwayne De Rosario (2011-13)

• Hamdi Salihi (2012)

• Rafael Gladiador (2013)

• Eddie Johnson (2014-15)

• Fabián Espíndola (2015-16)

• Paul Arriola (2017-21)

• Wayne Rooney (2018-19)

• Lucas Rodríguez (2019)

• Edison Flores (2020-22)

• Taxiarchis Fountas (2022-23)

• Victor Pálsson (2022)

• Christian Benteke (2022-2025)

• Mateusz Klich (2023-25)

• Matto Peltola (2024)

• Tai Baribo (2026 - Present)

• Louis Munteanu (2026 - Present)

Houston Dynamo FC

• Luis Ángel Landín (2009-10)

• Boniek García (2012-14)

• Giles Barnes (2012-16)

• Alexander López (2013-14)

• DaMarcus Beasley (2014-16)

• Mauro Montas (2015-16, 2020)

• Erick Torres (2015-17)

• Alberth Elis (2017-20)

• Tomás Martínez (2017-19)

• Darwin Quintero (2020-21)

• Teenage Hadebe (2021-23)

• Sebastián Ferreira (2022-24)

• Héctor Herrera (2022-24)

• Ezequiel Ponce (2024 - Present)

• Artur (2025 - Present)

• Ondřej Lingr (2025 - Present)

Inter Miami CF

• Matías Pellegrini (2020)

• Rodolfo Pizarro (2020-23)

• Gonzalo Higuaín (2020-22)

• Blaise Matuidi (2021)

• Gregore (2021-23)

• Alejandro Pozuelo (2022)

• Leonardo Campana (2023-24)

• Lionel Messi (2023 - Present)

• Sergio Busquets (2023-25)

• Jordi Alba (2025)

• Rodrigo De Paul (2026 - Present)

Sporting Kansas City

• Claudio López (2008)

• Omar Bravo (2011)

• Jéferson (2011)

• Claudio Bieler (2013-14)

• Matt Besler (2014-16)

• Graham Zusi (2014-17)

• Roger Espinoza (2015-18)

• Diego Rubio (2016)

• Gerso Fernandes (2017)

• Yohan Croizet (2018-19)

• Felipe Gutiérrez (2018-20)

• Johnny Russell (2019-24)

• Alan Pulido (2020-24)

• Gadi Kinda (2021-23)

• Nemanja Radoja (2024)

• Dániel Sallói (2024)

• Dejan Joveljić (2025 - Present)

• Manu Garcia (2025 - Present)

Los Angeles Galaxy

• David Beckham (2007-12)

• Landon Donovan (2010-14)

• Juan Pablo Ángel (2011)

• Robbie Keane (2011-16)

• Omar Gonzalez (2013-15)

• Steven Gerrard (2015-16)

• Giovani Dos Santos (2015-18)

• Jelle Van Damme (2016-17)

• Romain Alessandrini (2017-19)

• Jonathan dos Santos (2017-21)

• Zlatan Ibrahimović (2019)

• Cristian Pavón (2020)

• Javier Hernández (2020-23)

• Kévin Cabral (2021-22)

• Douglas Costa (2022-23)

• Riqui Puig (2023 - Present)

• Gabriel Pec (2024 - Present)

• Joseph Paintsil (2024 - Present)

Los Angeles FC

• Carlos Vela (2018-23)

• Diego Rossi (2018-21)

• André Horta (2018-19)

• Brian Rodríguez (2019-21)

• Denis Bouanga (2022 - Present)

• Eduard Atuesta (2024)

• Olivier Giroud (2024-25)

• Cengiz Ünder (2025) 

• Son Heung-min (2025 - Present)

Minnesota United FC

• Darwin Quintero (2018-19)

• Ángelo Rodríguez (2018-19)

• Ján Greguš (2019-21)

• Thomás Chacón (2019-20)

• Emmanuel Reynoso (2020-24)

• Adrien Hunou (2021-22)

• Luis Amarilla (2022-23)

• Ménder García (2022-23)

• Teemu Pukki (2023-24)

• Kelvin Yeboah (2024 - Present)

• Joaquín Pereyra (2024 - Present)

• Tomás Chancalay (2026 - Present)

CF Montréal

• Marco Di Vaio (2012-14)

• Hernán Darío Bernardello (2013-14)

• Ignacio Piatti (2014-19)

• Didier Drogba (2015-16) 

• Lucas Ontivero (2016)

• Blerim Džemaili (2017)

• Saphir Taïder (2018-20)

• Victor Wanyama (2020-24)

• Aljaž Struna (2021)

• Djordje Mihailovic (2021)

• Giacomo Vrioni (2025)

• Iván Jaime (2025 - Present)

Nashville SC

• Hany Mukhtar (2020 - Present)

• Randall Leal (2020-21)

• Jhonder Cádiz (2020-21)

• Aké Arnaud Loba (2021-23)

• Walker Zimmerman (2022-25)

• Sam Surridge (2023 - Present)

New England Revolution

• Milton Caraglio (2011)

• Shalrie Joseph (2012)

• Jerry Bengston (2012-14)

• Jermaine Jose (2014-15)

• José Gonçalves (2016)

• Xavier Kouassi (2016-17)

• Kei Kamara (2016-17)

• Claude Dielna (2018)

• Carles Gil (2019 - Present)

• Gustavo Bou (2019-23)

• Adam Buksa (2020-22)

• Giacomo Vrioni (2022-24)

• Tomás Chancalay (2024-25)

• Matt Turner (2025)

New York City FC

• David Villa (2014-18)

• Frank Lampard (2015-16)

• Andrea Pirlo (2015-17) 

• Maximiliano Moralez (2017-21)

• Jesús Medina (2018-21)

• Alexandru Mitriță (2019-20)

• Talles Magno (2021 - Present)

• Thiago Martins (2022 - Present)

• Santiago Rodríguez (2023-25)

• Nicolás Fernández (2025 - Present)

Red Bull New York

• Claudio Reyna (2007-08)

• Juan Pablo Ángel (2007-10)

• Thierry Henry (2010-14)

• Rafael Márquez (2010-12)

• Frank Rost (2011)

• Tim Cahill (2012-14)

• Bradley Wright-Phillips (2015-16, 2017-19)

• Gonzalo Verón (2015-17)

• Sacha Kljestan (2016-17)

• Omer Damari (2016)

• Kaku (2018-21)

• Josh Sims (2019-20)

• Dru Yearwood (2020-21)

• Patryk Klimala (2021-22)

• Luquinhas (2022-23)

• Dante Vanzeir (2023-24)

• Emil Forsberg (2024 - Present)

• Felipe Carballo (2024)

• Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (2025 - Present)

Orlando City SC

• Kaká (2014-17)

• Carlos Rivas (2015-17)

• Bryan Róchez (2015-16)

• Matías Augusto Pérez (2017)

• Giles Barnes (2017)

• Yoshimar Yotún (2017)

• Dom Dwyer (2018-20)

• Sacha Kljestan (2018)

• Josué Colmán (2018-19)

• Nani (20219-21)

• Mauricio Pereyra (2019-22)

• Facundo Torres (2022-24)

• Ercan Kara (2022-23)

• Martín Ojeda (2023 - Present)

• Luis Muriel (2024 - Present)

• Marco Pašalić (2025 - Present)

Philadelphia Union

• Freddy Adu (2011-12)

• José Kléberson (2013)

• Cristaian Maidana (2014-15)

• Maurice Edu (2014-17)

• Fernando Aristegueita (2015)

• Alejandro Bedoya (2016-19)

• Bořek Dočkal (2018)

• Marco Fabián (2019)

• Jamiro Monteiro (2020-21)

• Julián Carranza (2022-24)

• Mikael Uhre (2022-25)

• Dániel Gazdag (2023-25)

• Bruno Damiani (2025 - Present)

Portland Timbers

• Diego Chará (2011-13)

• Kris Boyd (2012)

• Diego Valeri (2013-19)

• Fanendo Adi (2014-15, 2016-18)

• Liam Ridgewell (2014-16)

• Lucas Melano (2015-16, 2019)

• Sebastián Blanco (2017-23)

• Brian Fernández (2019)

• Yimmi Chará (2020-23)

• Jarosław Niezgoda (2020-23)

• Evander (2023-24)

• Jonathan Rodríguez (2024-25)

• David da Costa (2025 - Present)

• Kristoffer Velde (2025 - Present)

• Felipe Carballo (2025 - Present)

Real Salt Lake

• Álvaro Saborío (2011-15)

• Javier Morales (2011-15)

• Kyle Beckerman (2015)

• Joao Plata (2015-16)

• Sebastián Jaime (2014-15)

• Juan Manuel Martínez (2015-16)

• Yura Movsisyan (2016-17)

• Albert Rusnák (2017-21)

• Jefferson Savarino (2017-19, 2022-23)

• Sam Johnson (2019-20)

• Jeizon Ramírez (2020-21)

• Damir Kreilach (2010-23)

• Cristain “Chico” Arango (2023-24)

• Diogo Gonçalves (2024 - Present)

• Rwan Cruz (2025 - Present)

St. Louis City SC

• João Klauss (2023 - Present)

• Eduard Löwen (2023-24)

• Marcel Hartel (2024- Present)

San Diego FC

• Hirving “Chucky” Lozano (2025 - Present)

• Anders Dreyer (2025 - Present)

San Jose Earthquakes

• Geovanni (2010)

• Chris Wondolowski (2013-19)

• Matías Pérez García (2014-16)

• Innocent Emeghara (2015-16)

• Simon Dawkins (2016-17)

• Valeri Qaziashvili (2017-20)

• Magnus Eriksson (2018)

• Cristian Espinoza (2020-2025)

• Javier Eduardo López Ramírez (2021-22)

• Jamiro Monteiro (2022-23)

• Carlos Gruezo (2023-25)

• Hernán López (2024-25)

• Cristain “Chico” Arango (2025 - Present)

Seattle Sounders FC

• Freddie Ljungberg (2009-10)

• Álvaro Fernández (2010-12)

• Blaise Nkufo (2010)

• Fredy Montero (2011-12)

• Mauro Rosales (2011-13)

• Christian Tiffert (2012-13)

• Shalrie Joseph (2013)

• Obafemi Martins (2013-15)

• Clint Dempsey (2013-18)

• Osvaldo Alonso (2014-18)

• Nelson Valdez (2015-16)

• Nicolás Lodeiro (2016-23)

• Raúl Ruidíaz (2018-24)

• Víctor Rodríguez (2019)

• Xavier Arreaga (2019)

• João Paulo (2020-21)

• Albert Rusnák (2022 - Present)

• Pedro de la Vega (2024 - Present)

• Jordan Morris (2025 - Present)

Toronto FC

• Julian de Guzman (2009-12)

• Mista (2010)

• Danny Koevermans (2011-13)

• Torsten Frings (2011-12)

• Eric Hassli (2012)

• Matías Laba (2013)

• Gilberto (2014)

• Michael Bradley (2014-19)

• Jermaine Defoe (2014-15)

• Sebastian Giovinco (2015-18)

• Jozy Altidore (2015-21)

• Alejandro Pozuelo (2019-22)

• Pablo Piatti (2020)

• Yeferson Soteldo (2021)

• Carlos Salcedo (2022)

• Lorenzo Insigne (2022-25)

• Federico Bernardeschi (2022-25)

• Jonathan Osorio (2023-24)

• Richie Laryea (2024)

• Djordje Mihailovic (2025 - Present)

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

• Eric Hassli (2011-12)

• Mustapha Jaru (2011)

• Barry Robson (2012)

• Kenny Miller (2012-14)

• Matías Laba (2014-17)

• Mauro Rosales (2014)

• Pedro Morales (2014-16)

• Octavio Rivero (2015-16)

• Fredy Montero (2017, 2019)

• Brek Shea (2017-18)

• Kendall Watson (2018)

• Hwang In-beom (2019-20)

• Joaquín Ardaiz (2019)

• Ali Adnan Kadhim (2019-21)

• Lucas Cavallini (2020-22)

• Ryan Gauld (2021 - Present)

• Andres Cubas (2022 - Present)

• Sergio Córdova (2023)

• Stuart Armstrong (2024)

• Thomas Müller (2026 - Present)

Designated Player History by Nation

Argentina: 58 - Luciano Acosta, Ignacio Aliseda, Thiago Almada, Esequiel Barco, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Hernán Bernardello, Claudio Bieler, Sebastián Blanco, Gustavo Bou, Milton Caraglio, Julián Carranza, Tomás Chancalay, Enzo Copetti, Pedro de la Vega, Rodrigo De Paul, Mauro Díaz, Sebastián Driussi, Fabián Espíndola, Cristian Espinoza, Brian Fernández, Nicolás Fernández, Alan Franco, Marcelo Gallardo, Federico Higuaín, Gonzalo Higuaín, Sebastián Jaime, Franco Jara, Matías Laba, Claudio López, Hernán López, Cristian Maidana, Juan Manuel Martínez, Pity Martínez, Tomás Martínez, Lucas Melano, Lionel Messi, Javier Morales, Maximiliano Moralez, Marcelino Moreno, Martín Ojeda, Lucas Ontivero, Cristian Pavón, Matías Pellegrini, Joaquín Pereyra, Matías Pérez García, Ignacio Piatti, Pablo Piatti, Tomás Pochettino, Ezequiel Ponce, Juan Edgardo Ramírez, Emanuel Reynoso, Emiliano Rigoni, Lucas Rodríguez, Mauro Rosales, Diego Valeri, Gonzalo Verón, Milton Valenzuela, Alan Velasco

United States: 29 - Paxten Aaronson, Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore, Paul Arriola, DaMarcus Beasley, Kyle Beckerman, Alejandro Bedoya, Matt Besler, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Dom Dwyer, Maurice Edu, Jesús Ferreira, Omar Gonzalez, Tim Howard, Eddie Johnson, Jermaine Jones, Djordje Mihailovic, Jordan Morris, Darlington Nagbe, Claudio Reyna, Brek Shea, Matt Turner, Brandon Vázquez, Chris Wondolowski, Gyasi Zardes, Walker Zimmerman, Graham Zusi

Brazil: 22 - Luiz Araújo, Artur, Brenner, Douglas Costa, Rwan Cruz, Denílson, Luciano Emílio, Evander, Geovanni, Gilberto, Guilherme  Rafael Gladiador, Jéferson, Kaká, João Klauss, José Kléberson, Luquinhas, Talles Magno, Thiago Martins, Rafael Navarro, João Paulo, Gabriel Pec

Mexico: 18 - Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Omar Bravo, Nery Castillo, Marco Fabián, Javier Hernández, Héctor Herrera, Luis Ángel Landín, Javier Eduardo López, Hirving Lozano, Rafael Márquez, Rodolfo Pizarro, Alan Pulido, Carlos Salcedo, Giovani dos Santos, Jonathan dos Santos, Erick Torres, Jairo Torres, Carlos Vela

Columbia: 16 - Juan Pablo Ángel, Cristian Arango, Eduard Atuesta, Fabián Castillo, Diego Chará, Yimmi Chará, Andrés Ramiro Escobar, David Ferreira, Ménder García, Cucho Hernández, Mauro Manotas, Fredy Montero, Santiago Mosquera, Luis Muriel, Darwin Quintero, Ángelo Rodríguez

Uruguay: 16 - Joaquín Ardaiz, Felipe Carballo, Thomás Chacón, Bruno Damiani, Álvaro Fernández, Nicolás Lodeiro, Mauricio Pereyra, Federico Puppo, Egidio Arévalo Rios, Octavio Rivero, Brian Rodríguez, Jonathan Rodríguez, Santiago Rodríguez, Diego Rossi, David Texeira, Facundo Torres

Paraguay: 12 - Miguel Almirón, Luis Amarilla, Cristian Colmán, Josué Colmán, Andrés Cubas, Cecilio Domínguez, Sebastián Ferreira, Gastón Giménez, Kaku, Jesús Medina, Nelson Valdez, Héctor Villalba

Spain: 11 - Jordi Alba, Pep Biel, Sergio Busquets, Manu García, Carles Gil, Iván Jaime, Mista, Alejandro Pozuelo, Riqui Puig, Víctor Rodríguez, David Villa

England: 10 - David Beckham, Jermain Defoe, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Liam Ridgewell, Wayne Rooney, Josh Sims, Sam Surridge, Bradley Wright-Phillips, Dru Yearwood

France: 9 - Romain Alessandrini, Kévin Cabral, Yohan Croizet, Claude Dielna, Olivier Giroud, Eric Hassli, Thierry Henry, Adrien Hunou, Blaise Matuidi

Ecuador: 8 - Jordy Alcívar, Juan Luis Anangonó, Xavier Arreaga, Leonardo Campana, Aníbal Chalá, Carlos Gruezo, Oswaldo Minda, Joao Plata

Germany: 8 - Torsten Frings, Marcel Hartel, Eduard Löwen, Hany Mukhtar, Thomas Müller, Frank Rost, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Christian Tiffert

Honduras: 7 - Bryan Acosta, Jerry Bengtson, Alberth Elis, Roger Espinoza, Boniek García, Alexander López, Bryan Róchez

Ivory Coast: 7 - Jonathan Bamba, Ousmane Doumbia, Didier Drogba, Xavier Kouassi, Emmanuel Latte Lath, Aké Arnaud Loba, Wilfried Zaha

Scotland: 7 - Stuart Armstrong, Kris Boyd, Ryan Gauld, Shaun Maloney, Kenny Miller, Barry Robson, Johnny Russell

Venezuela: 7 - Fernando Aristeguieta, Jhonder Cádiz, Sergio Córdova, Josef Martínez, Jeizon Ramírez, Jefferson Savarino, Yeferson Soteldo

Italy: 6 - Federico Bernardeschi, Marco Di Vaio, Sebastian Giovinco, Lorenzo Insigne, Andrea Pirlo, Kelvin Yeboah

Poland: 6 - Adam Buksa, Kamil Jóźwiak, Mateusz Klich, Patryk Klimala, Jarosław Niezgoda, Karol Świderski

Portugal: 6 - David da Costa, Diogo Gonçalves, José Gonçalves, André Horta, Nani, Pedro Santos

Canada: 5 - Lucas Cavallini, Julian de Guzman, Dwayne De Rosario, Richie Laryea, Jonathan Osorio

Costa Rica: 5 - Allan Cruz, Luis Díaz, Randall Leal, Álvaro Saborío, Kendall Waston

Albania: 4 - Shkëlzen Gashi, Hamdi Salihi, Myrto Uzuni, Giacomo Vrioni

Belgium: 4 - Christian Benteke, Hugo Cuypers, Jelle Van Damme, Dante Vanzeir

Chile: 4 - Pablo Aránguiz, Felipe Gutiérrez, Pedro Morales, Diego Rubio

Denmark: 4 - Anders Dreyer, Andreas Maxsø, Younes Namli, Mikael Uhre

Ghana: 4 - David Accam, Osman Bukari, Jonathan Mensah, Joseph Paintsil

Israel: 4 - Liel Abada, Tai Baribo, Omer Damari, Gadi Kinda

Nigeria: 4 - Fanendo Adi, Kennedy Igboananike, Obafemi Martins, Obinna Nwobodo

Peru: 4 - Edison Flores, Andrés Mendoza, Raúl Ruidíaz, Yoshimar Yotún

Sweden: 4 - Magnus Eriksson, Emil Forsberg, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Freddie Ljungberg

Switzerland: 4 - Blerim Džemaili, Innocent Emeghara, Blaise Nkufo, Xherdan Shaqiri

Croatia: 3 - Damir Kreilach, Petar Musa, Marco Pašalić

Finland: 3 - Matti Peltola, Teemu Pukki, Alexander Ring

Hungary: 3 - Dániel Gazdag, Nemanja Nikolić, Dániel Sallói

Serbia: 3 - Dejan Joveljić, Aleksandar Katai, Nemanja Radoja

Armenia: 2 - Yura Movsisyan, Lucas Zelarayán

Czechia: 2 - Bořek Dočkal, Ondřej Lingr

Gabon: 2 - Denis Bouanga, Aaron Boupendza

Georgia: 2 - Saba Lobzhanidze, Valeri Qazaishvili

Greece: 2 - Taxiarchis Fountas, Giorgos Giakoumakis

Ireland: 2 - Kevin Doyle, Robbie Keane

Jamaica: 2 - Giles Barnes, Simon Dawkins

Netherlands: 2 - Danny Koevermans, Sherjill MacDonald

Norway: 2 - Stian Rode Gregersen, Kristoffer Velde

Slovakia: 2 - Ján Greguš, Albert Rusnák

Slovenia: 2 - Robert Berić, Aljaž Struna

South Korea: 2 - Hwang In-beom, Son Heung-min

Algeria: 1 - Saphir Taïder

Australia: 1 - Tim Cahill

Austria: 1 - Ercan Kara

Cameroon: 1 - Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting

Cape Verde: 1 - Jamiro Monteiro

Cuba: 1 - Osvaldo Alonso

Curaçao: 1 - Jürgen Locadia

Gambia: 1 - Mustapha Jarju

Grenada: 1 - Shalrie Joseph

Guinea-Bissau: 1 - Gerso Fernandes

Iceland: 1 - Victor Pálsson

Iraq: 1 - Ali Adnan Kadhim

Japan: 1 - Yuya Kubo

Kenya: 1 - Victor Wanyama

Liberia: 1 - Sam Johnson

Montenegro: 1 - Branko Bošković

Palestine: 1 - Wessam Abou Ali

Panama: 1 - Gabriel Torres

Romania: 1 - Alexandru Mitriță

Russia: 1 - Aleksei Miranchuk

Sierra Leone: 1 - Kei Kamara

Togo: 1 - Kévin Denkey

Turkey: 1 - Cengiz Ünder

Zimbabwe: 1 - Teenage Hadebe

As the calendar flips to 2026, NBA transaction season ramps back up again. January into February is a busy transaction period in the NBA world before the sprint to the playoffs. We’ve got you covered here on Spotrac, so that you don’t get caught off-guard by an important date!

Key Dates

Here are the upcoming key dates to be aware of in the NBA:

• January 5: Teams can sign players to 10 Day contracts. Here’s a list of callup candidates to watch.

• January 7: Final day to waive players on partially guaranteed contracts before their contract becomes fully guaranteed. This one is a little complicated, because contracts actually become fully guaranteed on January 10. However, players have to clear waivers before January 10. That means teams have to waive them by January 7, in order for the 48-hour waiver period to pass.

• January 10: All NBA contracts are fully guaranteed. This includes both standard and two-way contracts. Note: This is not the deadline to sign a player to a contract! Teams can sign players to contracts through the final day of the regular season.

• January 15: Final day for teams to apply for a Disabled Player Exception. In order to have a DPE approved, the player must be expected to miss the remainder of the season. The DPE amount is for half of the injured player’s salary, with the maximum amount equal to the Non-Taxpayer MLE ($14.1 million this season). A DPE can be used to sign a free agent to a rest-of-season contract with no options for the following season. A team can also use a DPE to trade for or claim a player off waivers whose expiring salary fits inside the DPE amount and includes no options for the following season.

• January 15: More players become trade-eligible. This group includes players who signed a contract using Bird or Early Bird rights that had at least a 20% raise over their prior salary. The headline player of this group is Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga.

• February 5: NBA Trade Deadline is at 3:00 PM ET. Over the last few years, we’ve seen trade activity start early in deadline week, with things ramping up as the deadline approaches.

• February 13-15: NBA All-Star Weekend

• March 1: Playoff Waiver Eligibility Deadline. In order for a player to be eligible to play in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, they need to be waived by March 1. Players waived after March 1 can still be signed or claimed off waivers by a playoff team, but cannot play in postseason games. Note: This is not the deadline to sign a player to a contract! Teams can sign players to contracts through the final day of the regular season.

• March 10: Final day for a team to use a Disabled Player Exception to sign a free agent or claim a player off waivers. See January 15 note for further DPE-related restrictions.

• April 12: Final day of Regular Season. This is the final day that teams can sign a player to a contract (including converting two-way players to a standard deal). All remaining signing exceptions (Non-Taxpayer MLE, Taxpayer MLE, Room Exception) expire. It’s also the day that the Luxury Tax snapshot is taken for the 2025-26 season to determine a team’s tax status.

• April 14-17: NBA Play-In Tournament

• April 18: 2026 NBA Playoffs Begin

Team-Specific Dates

Here are a few team-specific dates to also be aware of as far as the ability to fit in a prorated veteran minimum rest-of-season signing under their hard cap:

• January 6: Dallas Mavericks (would require creating a roster spot)

• January 7: LA Clippers

• January 8: Houston Rockets

• January 9: Orlando Magic

• January 18: Los Angeles Lakers

• March 24: Golden State Warriors (would require creating a roster spot)

• April 2: New York Knicks

If teams shed salary prior to their specific date, they could sign a player earlier than the date listed.

As 2025 comes to a close, most are focused on the looming NBA trade deadline on February 5. Over 85% of the league is eligible to be traded now, with a handful more big names (and salaries!) joining the list by the middle of January. However, a couple more key dates are coming up on the NBA calendar before the trade deadline.

On January 5, teams are allowed to sign players to 10 Day contracts. This might seem a bit confusing, because we’ve already seen several 10 Day deals signed, but those were due to hardship situations. A few years back, partially as a result of COVID-impacted seasons, the NBA changed the rules that a hardship exception could be filled via a 10 Day deal, before the official 10 Day contract period opens on January 5.

With nearly half of the league carrying an open roster spot, expect some 10 Day movement around the NBA. For teams without enough space under a hard cap, this could be a way to bring in some extra help on a temporary basis.

The next important date is January 7, which is when all NBA contracts (both standard and two-way) become fully guaranteed for the season. In reality, NBA contracts become fully guaranteed on January 10, but in order for a team to avoid the non-guaranteed portion hitting their books, the player has to clear waivers before January 10. That means that they have to be waived by January 7, in order for the player to have their 48 hours on waivers pass before January 10.

Soon, we’ll have a piece looking at the players on standard contracts with that January 7 deadline becoming fully guaranteed. However, the two-way guarantee deadline has become sort of a defining line for teams too. Generally, we’ll see some activity with teams shuffling players in and out on two-way deals.

In the wake of the G League Showcase, which took place in Orlando just before Christmas, we’re going to look at some of the top candidates for 10 Day contract or to land a Two-Way deal. This list is compiled through film study, but also through talking to NBA front office executives and scouts, as well as player agents. We’re breaking up the list like this:

• Ballhandlers: Primarily points guards, which is a deep group in the G League this season.
• Wings: These are shooting guard/small forward types. This is the shallowest group in the G League this season.
• Bigs: Primarily centers, which includes a handful of recognizable names.

Before we start, this list would have been led by MarJon Beauchamp and Mo Bamba, but both players recently landed NBA deals. Beauchamp landed with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-way deal. He’s improved his shot, and if that holds, Beauchamp all of a sudden becomes a really, really interesting player.

Bamba signed with the Toronto Raptors on a pseudo-10 Day contract (his deal is non-guaranteed and designed to be waived before January 7, if necessary). He continues to float around the edges of the NBA as a roster player. The prospect shine is long gone, but Bamba is still athletic, can rebound and block shots, and he’s made shots in the G League this season.

With all that said, here are the G League players to keep an eye on for a 10 Day callup or a two-way deal for the rest of this season.

(All stats courtesy of RealGM and through games played as of December 30)

Ballhandlers

Darius Brown II - Cleveland Charge - 26 years old - PG

Key Stats: 12.5 PPG, 41% 3P%, 3.8 RPG, 8.8 APG, 2.6 SPG

Brown has reinvented himself in his second G League season. After being more of an undersized combo guard as a rookie, Brown has been one of the best lead playmakers in the G League this season. Brown is a ballhawk, using his quickness to press up on opposing ballhandlers. He’s not afraid to get physical either. On offense, Brown does a nice job setting the offense, while creating in freelance situations. He’s improved his jumper, knocking down 41% on 5.6 attempts per game from deep. He’s got classic “late bloomer” written all over him.

Kobe Bufkin - South Bay Lakers - 22 years old - PG/SG

Key Stats: 26 PPG, 53% FG%, 43% 3P%, 4.2 RPG, 4.4 APG

Bufkin has already earned a callup on a hardship exception with the Memphis Grizzlies. Bufkin didn’t end up getting into a game with Memphis, but it shows teams haven’t given up on him yet. In the G League, he’s played as a combo guard. After shooting poorly in his previous NBA experience with the Atlanta Hawks, Bufkin is hitting at a great clip this season. He’s young enough to have some prospect shine left on him. Adapting to more of a combo-guard role might unlock Bufkin’s next NBA opportunity.

Kennedy Chandler - Delaware Blue Coats - 23 years old - PG

Key Stats: 19.7 PPG, 9.6 APG, 2.3 SPG

Chandler is the prototypical, old-school floor general. He’s got complete command of the offense. Whether it’s getting his team into their sets or creating on his own, Chandler keeps the ball moving. He’s done a nice job of finishing in the paint. Unfortunately, at his 6-foot size, he has to shoot it better from behind the arc. After looking steady the last two years, Chandler’s outside shot has regressed this season. On defense, Chandler makes up for his lack of size by using his speed and quickness. He’s got fast hands and reads opposing offenses well.

Killian Hayes - Cleveland Charge - 24 years old - PG

Key Stats: 24.8 PPG, 47% FG%, 36% 3P%, 3.5 RPG, 7.9 APG, 1.8 SPG

Sharing the backcourt with Darius Brown II, Hayes has done really well. He’s still terrific on-ball as a playmaker, but is also using his size better than ever to get downhill for buckets at the rim. Hayes has also improved off-ball. 36% on threes might not jump off the page, but it’s come on 7.7 three-point attempts per game. There’s no hesitation on taking open looks for Hayes, and very little on self-created shots off the dribble too. Defensively, Hayes remains competitive. He’s big enough to guard 1-3. He still gambles a bit too much for steals, but the effort and hustle are there.

Mac McClung - Windy City Bulls - 26 years old - PG

Key Stats: 24 PPG, 50% FG%, 36% 3P%, 3.3 RPG, 6.3 APG

We all know the story with McClung by now: He’s hyper-athletic and can jump out of the gym. But McClung is more than just a dunker. He’s a good shooter and playmaker. He can run an offense and play on- and off-ball. He’s competitive on defense, but his lack of size can hurt him on that end. All of that said, he’s worthy of a real NBA look to prove he’s not just a Dunk Contest oddity.

Tristen Newton - Iowa Wolves - 24 years old - SG/PG

Key Stats: 26.6 PPG, 49% FG%, 37% 3P%, 4.7 RPG, 7.6 APG, 2.0 SPG

Newton has great size at a legit 6-foot-5. When he came out of UConn, Newton was almost invisible off-ball. Now, he’s equally as good off-ball as he is on-ball. 37% from downtown is a marked improvement for Newton, and he’s done that on an impressive 8.2 three-point attempts per game. Newton is also a natural playmaker. He can shift right back into his point guard mindset when he’s got the ball. Defensively, Newton isn’t the fastest guy, but he’s gotten better at using his size and strength. He’s now directing opposing players vs reacting to their moves.

Daishen Nix - Rio Grande Valley Vipers - 23 years old - SG

Key Stats: 23.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 7.2 APG, 2.6 SPG

Nix is out of two-way eligibility, which is a bit of a bummer, given he’s still young enough to be developed. That means his path is a 10 Day deal or a rest-of-season contract. He’s one of the more well-rounded athletes in the ballhandler group. Nix is quick and he’s strong. He’s a terrific rebounder, given his 6-foot-4 frame. He’s reading the floor really well on both ends. The shot is still inconsistent. If Nix could hit from the outside consistently, he’d already be on an NBA contract.

Wings

Teddy Allen - Rio Grande Valley Vipers - 27 years old - SF/SG

Key Stats: 21.1 PPG, 48% FG%, 41% 3P%, 6.4 RPG, 1.6 SPG

Allen is in the late-bloomer category for sure. He was fine as a 26-year-old G League rookie last season, after a few years playing in Canada and England. This year, he’s been one of the better all-around players in the G League. He’s got NBA size for a wing. He’s quick and strong. Allen is making his shots from everywhere and on all types of takes too. His age might scare off some teams, but he’s a bit more ready to play than some of the younger guys on this list. That could help Allen land an NBA spot.

Dalano Banton - Texas Legends - 26 years old - SG/SF/PG

Key Stats: 25.1 PPG, 46% FG%, 4.6 RPG, 7.2 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.0 BPG

Banton is a known quantity to NBA teams. He’s spent four years in the league already. Teams know he can score and keep the ball moving, even if he’s a streaky shooter. That doesn’t mean he’s not deserving of another shot at the league though. Banton is arguably the most versatile player in the G League. He can play any of the perimeter positions. Banton also looks more committed to the defensive end of the floor. He’s finally putting his 6-foot-8 frame to good use on defense. That could be his ticket back to the NBA.

James Bouknight - Mexico City Capitanes - 25 years old - SG

Key Stats: 19.5 PPG, 44% FG%, 44% 3P%, 5.2 RPG

A former lottery pick, Bouknight has clearly been putting in work on his game. He’s not an overpowering athlete, despite being fairly quick and a decent leaper. So, Bouknight has had to work on his shot. He’s up to 44% on 8.7 three-point attempts per game this season. Bouknight has hit spot-up shots, on-the-move shots and off-the-dribble shots. That’s a good sign for the 6-foot-5 shooting guard. On defense, Bouknight is trying more. He’s been really good about getting on the boards, which is a good sign of his competitiveness.

Keion Brooks Jr. - Birmingham Squadron - 25 years old - SF

Key Stats: 14.5 PPG, 50% FG%, 40% 3P%, 5.6 RPG

Brooks has a similar profile and game to former New Orleans Pelicans teammate Herb Jones. He’s strong and quick on defense and makes his man work for his looks. Brooks has been knocking down threes at a decent clip this season too. He saw some NBA run last season and is definitely worth of another look, especially for a team looking for a 3&D option with good size.

Matthew Cleveland - Texas Legends - 23 years old - SF/SG

Key Stats: 14.5 PPG, 55% FG%, 39% 3P%, 8.7 RPG

This might be the G League Rookie of the Year, at least out of players not on a two-way deal. Cleveland has been really impressive on both ends of the floor. His college tape at FSU and Miami showed a guy with good size who could knock down shots, defend on the perimeter and get on the glass. Nothing has changed in the G League, except that he’s doing all of that better than ever. In addition, Cleveland is showing some ability to put the ball on the floor too. Because he’s a rookie and fairly young, Cleveland will be a target for a two-year two-way deal covering the rest of this season and next season.

Blake Hinson - Rip City Remix - 26 years old - SF/SG

Key Stats: 23.6 PPG, 50% FG%, 41% 3P%, 4.5 RPG

Hinson is kind of a shooting specialist, with a bit more to his game. He can rebound a bit, and he’s showing the ability to drive a closeout to get to a pullup or sometimes all the way to rim. But Hinson’s real value lies in his shooting. He’s hitting over 41% from behind the arc on a whopping 9.5 three-point attempts per game. The thing NBA teams will like? Hinson is 6-foot-8. Shooting with size is always valued in the NBA.

Nate Hinton - Memphis Hustle - 26 years old - SF/SG

Key Stats: 12.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.8 SPG

Hinton has been around the edges of the NBA for a while now. He’s spent parts of three seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets. Hinton is kind of a unique player, as he’s an outstanding rebounder for his 6-foot-5 frame. He excels crashing the offensive glass and getting in the mix for second chances. If Hinton shot it a bit more consistently from the outside, he’d be an NBA guy. As it is, the mix of strong on-ball defense and rebounding will have Hinton getting looks for a callup.

Alize Johnson - Iowa Wolves - 29 years old - SF/PF

Key Stats: 17.6 PPG, 55% FG%, 35% 3P%, 10.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.2 SPG

Johnson is coming of a 40-point, 12-rebound game where he shot 15-for-21 from the floor. The scoring is higher than usual, but that kind of gives you a sense of how overpowering Johnson has been at times this season. He’s older than most guys on this list, but Johnson could step in and give an NBA team decent bench minutes today. If he was a bit bigger or shot it better from deep, Johnson would already have an NBA deal. But he’s still worthy of another look after a couple of years rounding out his game overseas.

Kevin Knox II - Windy City Bulls - 26 years old - SF

Key Stats: 20.4 PPG, 49% FG%, 42% 3P%, 6.6 RPG

Knox finished last season with the Golden State Warriors and had a few moments for them. This year, he’s been one of the more consistent scorers in the G League again. Knox’s size is too much for most perimeter defenders to handle on the minor league level. He’s knocking down his outside shots at a pretty consistent clip too, and Knox isn’t afraid to mix it up on the glass either. If a team needs a wing to step in for depth immediately, they could do a lot worse than giving Knox a callup.

Jalen Slawson - Noblesville Boom - 26 years old - SF/PF

Key Stats: 21.7 PPG, 50% FG%, 39% 3P%, 6.4 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.5 SPG, 2.7 BPG

Slawson has been the best all-around player in the G League this season. He’s been terrific on offense and borderline dominant on defense. He regularly guards 1-5 and handles every position equally as well. Slawson’s playmaking and shooting have been the real surprises. If the shooting is real, and his form suggests it is, someone should snag him on at least a two-way deal, if not jumping right to a standard contract.

Bigs

Charles Bassey - Santa Cruz Warriors - 25 years old - C/PF

Key Stats: 11.5 PPG, 73.3 FG%, 5.0 RPG, 3.0 BPG

This one is cheating a little bit. Bassey has only recently joined Santa Cruz, but he’s played well in two games since getting there. But we know Bassey can play. He almost made the Boston Celtics out of Summer League, then showed well for the Atlanta Hawks in training camp. In an early-season hardship callup with the Memphis Grizzlies, Bassey showed further flashes. Mostly, he’s a known quantity, who is still young enough to maybe have a little developmental pop left.

Moses Brown - Grand Rapid Gold - 26 years old - C

Key Stats: 17.1 PPG, 64% FG%, 9.6 RPG, 1.5 BPG

Brown is a dominant interior presence on the G League level. He’s crushing it on the offensive glass, with 4.6 offensive boards per game. He’s finishing solidly and protecting the rim well. With the Denver Nuggets down Nikola Jokic for a month, they could do an internal callup and bring Brown up to the NBA roster on a 10 Day deal. If it doesn’t happen in Denver, it’s probably just a matter of time before another team brings Brown in for a look.

John Butler Jr. - Wisconsin Herd - 23 years old - C

Key Stats: 9.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 1.9 BPG

Butler is starting to round out his game a bit more. He’s been really good on defense this season. Butler has learned to use his quickness and length better, while also improving his strength. There are still some stretch elements to develop on offense, as the jumper isn’t falling consistently yet. Because he’s young and has two-way eligibility left, he’s a good candidate for a multi-year two-way deal.

Skal Labissiere - Capital City Go-Go - 29 years old - C/PF

Key Stats: 19 PPG, 55% FG%, 43% 3P%, 8.4 RPG, 2.2 BPG

NBA teams are always looking for bigs who can protect the rim on defense and stretch the floor on offense. Labissiere has always had the former, but he’s added the latter. After years of steady improvement with his jumper, Labissiere is up to 43% on 5.1 three-point attempts per game. He’s also improved his strength, which has helped him as a rebounder. Labissiere is no longer the run-and-jump prospect, but he could help a team that needs some frontcourt depth.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl - Texas Legends - 25 years old - PF

Key Stats: 18 PPG, 48% FG%, 14.5 RPG

Robinson-Earl hasn’t played a lot in the G League, but that’s because he spent a while with the Indiana Pacers in the NBA this season. And that’s because Robinson-Earl can play. He’s one of the best rebounders at the G League level, simply because he understands positioning and has good strength. If the outside shot were a little better, of if Robinson-Earl was more athletic, he’d be on an NBA standard deal. As it is, he’ll be on the list for a callup when a team needs from frontcourt help.

Jamarion Sharp - Texas Legends - 24 years old - C

Key Stats: 8.3 PPG, 73% FG%, 7.7 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 4.3 BPG

Sharp is a massive human being. He’s a legitimate 7-foot-5. Sharp also moves better than most guys his size. What gives him a chance at a callup this season is that Sharp has improved his conditioning. He’s up over 25 minutes per game this season, after struggling to get over 20 minutes per game as a rookie last year. The combination of size, finishing, rebounding and rim protection, along with being fairly young, could land Sharp a two-way deal that covers the rest of this season and next season.

Arizona Cardinals (at LA Rams)

• With 6.5 sacks, Cardinals DE Calais Campbell has already vested $500,000. One more sack next week doubles it to $1M.

Baltimore Ravens (at Pittsburgh)

• Ravens DL Dre'Mont Jones has already vested $750,000 of sack incentives. 2 more in Week 18 (at PIT) escalates that to $1M.

Buffalo Bills (host Jets)

• Bills WR Khalil Shakir is 1 receiving TD away from $150,000. He can also add $150,000 with 8 catches.

• Bills TE Dawson Knox is 7 receiving yards away from $100,000, 1 touchdown from another $100,000, and 6 catches away from yet another $100,000. All of these figures include a bonus this year, and an escalator for next season.

• Bills OLB Joey Bosa remains 1 sack away from a $250,000 bonus.

• Bills DL DaQuan Jones has already vested $250,000 with 3 sacks this season. 1 more makes that $500,000; 2 bumps it up to $1M.

• Bills LB Matt Milano has already vested $500,000 with 3.5 sacks. 1.5 more this weekend doubles that to $1M.

• Bills RB Ty Johnson is 57 receiving yards away from a $125,000 bonus.

• Bills CBTre'Davious White is 1 interception away from a $250,000 bonus.

Carolina Panthers (at Tampa Bay)

• CB Michael Jackson has already secured $500,000 with 4 interceptions. He can double that to $1M if the Panthers clinch a playoff berth.

• RB Rico Dowdle is 7 scrimmage yards away from a $1M bonus. He’s 1 touchdown from another $250,000. Hitting these metrics means a total of $3M of incentives earned this season.

Cincinnati Bengals (host Cleveland)

• OLB Joseph Ossai needs 1 sack to secure a $250,000 bonus, but remains questionable to play with an ankle injury.

Detroit Lions (at Chicago)

• Lions DT Roy Lopez is 1 sack away from a $250,000 bonus.

Green Bay Packers (at Minnesota)

• CB Keisean Nixon needs 1 interception to secure a $50,000 bonus.

Houston Texans (host Indianapolis)

• RB Nick Chubb is 94 rushing yards away from a $250,000 bonus. He hasn’t reached that mark in a game since September 2023.

Jacksonville Jaguars (host Tennessee)

• DE Arik Armstead can secure a $1M bonus with 1.5 sacks in the Week 18 finale.

• DL Austin Johnson needs 1 more sack to secure a $250,000 bonus.

Kansas City Chiefs (at Las Vegas)

• WR Marquise Brown has already secured $500,000 with 5 touchdowns. 1 more means $250,000 more.

• RB Kareem Hunt is 31 scrimmage yards away from a $125,000 bonus.

• DE George Karlaftis needs 2 sacks to secure a $250,000 bonus.

Los Angeles Chargers (at Denver)

• WR Keenan Allen has already vested $2.25M of incentives this season. He’s 6 catches away from $750,000 more, 9 receiving yards away from $250,000 more, and 2 touchdowns away from $250,000 more.

Los Angeles Rams (host Arizona)

• QB Jimmy Garoppolo will secure $20,588 with 25% of the snaps Sunday. That becomes $120,588 if he takes 50% of the snaps. These figures double if the Rams win the game as well.

Miami Dolphins (at New England)

• OLB Bradley Chubb has met thresholds for $5.125M of incentives, and can push that over $6M with ample playing time Sunday. However, he needs his Dolphins defense to limit the Patriots scoring and sneak into the Top 20 of Points Allowed (currently 21st).

Minnesota Vikings (host Green Bay)

• DL Jonathan Allen needs 1.5 sacks to secure a $250,000 bonus. 

New England Patriots (host Miami)

• WR Stefon Diggs has already vested $1M based on receptions. 8 more catches adds another $500,000, and he’s 30 receiving yards away from yet another $500,000.

• TE Hunter Henry has already secured $500,000 with 55 catches this season. He’s 5 receptions away from another $250,000.

• OLB K’Lavon Chaisson needs a half sack Sunday to secure a $500,000 bonus. The 26-year-old has already vested $1.5M extra this season.

New Orleans Saints (at Atlanta)

• DL Nathan Shepherd is a half sack away from securing a $250,000 bonus. The 32-year-old is also on pace to vest $500,000 worth of playing time bonuses.

New York Jets (at Buffalo)

• K Nick Folk has already secured $375,000 worth of incentives. He needs two made field goals Sunday in Buffalo to make that $500,000.

• KR Kene Nwangwu has returned 1 kickoff for a touchdown this season. Doing so again this weekend will secure him a $500,000 bonus.

Philadelphia Eagles (host Washington)

• RB Saquon Barkley is 87 scrimmage yards away from adding $250,000 to his 2026 salary.

San Francisco 49ers (host Seattle)

• WR Jauan Jennings has taken at least 35 offensive snaps in 14 games this season (securing him $1.6M). He can make that $2.4M by doing so again in Week 18.

• WR Kendrick Bourne needs 49 receiving yards to secure a $250,000 bonus. He can add another $500,000 with 8 catches this Saturday.

• QB Mac Jones receives $100,000 each time he plays in 25% of the snaps in a regular season game and the 49ers win. That’s happened 5 times in 2025 so far.

Seattle Seahawks (at San Francisco)

• QB Sam Darnold is in range for $2M of performance bonuses this Saturday.
  $500,000 for a 100 Passer Rating (99.18 currently)
  $500,000 for 28 Pass TD (25 currently)
  $500,000 for 4,000 Pass YD (3,850 currently)
  $500,00 for 67.5% Completion (67.2% currently)

• DE DeMarcus Lawrence needs two sacks to secure a $500,000 bonus

• OLB Uchenna Nwosu needs two sacks to secure a $250,000 bonus.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (host Carolina)

• WR Sterling Shepard needs 1 catch to secure a $125,000 bonus. He can add another $125,000 with 29 receiving yards Saturday.

Tennessee Titans (at Jacksonville)

• RB Tony Pollard needs 66 rushing yards to secure a $250,000 bonus. 2 more rushing touchdowns Sunday means an extra $200,000 as well.

• WR Van Jefferson needs 1 catch to add a $100,000 bonus.

Washington Commanders (at Philadelphia)

• WR Deebo Samuel is in range of a few extra bonuses this Sunday.
  10 catches means $250,000
  93 receiving yards means $200,000
  2 touchdowns means $250,000

• OLB Von Miller needs 1 sack to secure a $500,000 bonus. The 36-year-old has 8 this season.

• DE Jake Martin is 1.5 sacks away from a $125,000 bonus.

The Indianapolis Colts were officially eliminated from postseason contention following a Week 17 loss to Jacksonville, closing the book on what was a rollercoaster ride of a season. Indy entered 2025 with a 7.5 over/under projection, but stormed out to an 8-1 start by way of a clear match between HC Shane Steichen and QB Daniel Jones. The season turned over onto its head following Jones’ Achilles injury, putting the franchise in an intriguing spot heading toward 2026.

Indy currently holds around $54M of projected cap space against an estimated $304M league threshold for 2026, including 39 contracts on the books, and $2M of dead cap. With 4 cap figures of $20M+, the Colts have the potential to free up enough cap space to be highly aggressive this offseason, assuming a few notable salary conversions.

The Colts currently project to hold 7 draft picks in 2026, including two late round compensatory selections. Indy sent their 1st round pick to the Jets in the Sauce Gardner trade.

Early Offseason Questions

• As Daniel Jones approaches free agency (and recovers from an Achilles injury), is he still in Indy’s plans going forward? What kind of financial offer makes the most sense for both parties?
• With significant draft/cash capital now invested in Sauce Gardner, how quickly can Indy get back into contention, ensuring they get the most out of a blockbuster trade?

Notable Free Agents

(Spotrac Market Valuation)

QB Daniel Jones ($44M)
ED Kwity Paye ($18M)
WR Alec Pierce ($17M)
RT Braden Smith ($14M)
S Nick Cross ($6.2M)
ED Samson Ebukam ($3M)
LB Germaine Pratt ($2.8M)

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Option Decision

QB Anthony Richardson

Richardson came into the league extremely raw, showed plenty of flashes of being an elite physical athlete, but couldn’t overcome staying healthy or developing into the position quickly enough to have a real chance to move forward. Indy declining his projected $23.5M 5th-year option for 2027 is a foregone conclusion as of now. The 23-year-old is still guaranteed $5.3M in 2026.

Extension Candidate

G Quenton Nelson

Still as elite as ever (#4 rated guard according to PFF currently speaking), Nelson will be entering a contract year in 2026, set to earn $18M against a $24.2M cap figure. The 29-year-old projects toward a 4 year, $92M ($23M APY) contract extension in our system.

RB Jonathan Taylor

Taylor is in the process of putting together his best overall season since 2021 (his sophomore campaign) and should finish off 2025 as one of the most productive offensive players in all of football. He’s also entering a contract year in 2026, set to earn $13M (non-guaranteed) against a $15.5M cap hit. Fumbles and below average usage in the passing game keeps him mathematically suppressed a bit ($15M valuation), but it’s tough to imagine the 26-year-old coming away from the negotiating table at anything less than $20M per year.

WR Michael Pittman Jr.

While the overall production likely ends up a bit lower than some of his best seasons, Pittman has been a reliable #1 option for Daniel Jones in 2025, as is evident by a career-high 7 TD catches. He enters a contract year in 2026, set to earn $24M against a $29M cap figure. The 28-year-old projects toward a 2 year, $60M extension in our system.

Bubble Candidates

DL Grover Stewart

Release Candidate

He’s one of the more notable “glue-guys” for this Colts D, so a trade or release wouldn’t be overly popular, but a down year production-wise could put the 32-year-old’s contract in question. The Colts can free up $12.25M of cap space by moving on from Stewart, who is non-guaranteed in 2026.

QB Anthony Richardson

Trade Candidate

The Colts will almost certainly decline Richardson’s 5th-year option for 2027 (see above), but the 23-year-old is still owed a fully guaranteed $5.3M in 2026. With Daniel Jones now injured long-term (and without a contract), there may be a world where the former #4 overall pick is competing for a Week 1 role at some point next offseason. There’s also a world where Indy finds a trade partner that offers Richardson a change of scenery and a better chance to play.

DL DeForest Buckner

Monitoring Candidate

It doesn’t even seem right to call Buckner a release candidate yet, because he’s just too talented, and too important to this Colts organization as a whole. However, the neck injury that he’s been dealing with this season (that also required stem-cell treatment) has to at least be mentioned as a red flag for the future. Buckner is owed $23M in 2026, $10M of which (a March 15th roster bonus) is fully guaranteed.

Potential Cap Conversions

LT Bernhard Raimann’s 2026 salary is fully guaranteed. Processing a simple conversion on it (plus one void year) frees up $9.4M.

Most of S Camryn Bynum’s 2026 salary is fully guaranteed (the rest by March 15th). Converting that to a bonus frees up $7.5M.

Converting CB Charvarius Ward’s 2026 salary into a bonus (with three void years) can open up over $9.8M of cap.

RELATED LINKS
2026 Colts Salary Cap Table
Colts 2026 Free Agents
Spotrac Offseason Guides

Highlighting NFL players who are closing in on incentive bonuses or escalator thresholds entering Week 17. RELATED: Spotrac’s NFL Contract Incentive Tracker

Bills WR Khalil Shakir has 4 Receiving TDs this season. 1 more secures him a $150,000 bonus.

By appearing in 45% of Buffalo’s offensive snaps, and the Bills securing a playoff berth, RB James Cook has secured a $1M escalator for his 2028 salary, raising it from $9.681M to $10.681M.

Bills TE Dawson Knox is 1 reception away from a $100,000 bonus/escalator. He’s 37 receiving yards away from another $100,000. He’s 1 TD away from yet another $100,000. The 29-year-old is on pace to secure $650,000 of incentives/escalators this season.

Bills OLB Joey Bosa is 1 sack away from securing a $250,000 bonus.

Panthers RB Rico Dowdle has already vested $1.75M based on yards and touchdowns. Another 70 scrimmage yards (1,350 total) means an additional $1M bonus. 1 more touchdown (rushing or receiving) adds another $250k.

Chargers WR Keenan Allen has already vested $2.25M based on receptions and a playoff berth. He’s 7 catches away from an additional $750k, 26 receiving yards away from another $250k, and 2 touchdowns away from yet another $250k. The 33-year-old has a maximum of $5.5M of incentives available in 2025.

Dolphins EDGE Bradley Chubb has eclipsed thresholds for $4.25M of incentives, and is in range for another $1.8M more (75% playing time + 1.5 more sacks). However, all of these bonuses are tied to the Dolphins’ defense being Top 20 in Points Allowed this season. Miami currently ranks 22nd.

Dolphins LB Jordyn Brooks is well on pace to vest his $1M playing time bonus. However, the bonus is tied to the Dolphins’ defense being Top 20 in Points Allowed this season. Miami currently ranks 22nd.

Patriots WR Stefon Diggs has already secured $500,000 based on receptions. He’s 4 more catches away from another $500,000. He’s also 131 receiving yards shy of an additional $500,000.

Patriots TE Hunter Henry has already secured $250,000 based on receptions. He’s 3 more catches away from another $250,000.

Saints TE Juwan Johnson has already secured $500,000 based on receptions & receiving yards. He can add another $250,000 with 67 more receiving yards.

Saints DE Nathan Shepherd has already vested $500,000 based on playing time. He can add $250,000 to it with another half sack in 2025.

Saints OLB Cameron Jordan has already vested $1.75M of incentives based on playing time & sacks. Another half sack in 2025 means $600,000 more, while consistent playing time through Week 18 should secure him an extra $550,000.

Jets K Nick Folk has vested a $375,000 incentive this season based on made Field Goals. He can raise that to $500,000 with 3 more makes.

Eagles RB Saquon Barkley needs 155 more yards from scrimmage to escalate his 2026 salary by $250,000.

49ers WR Jauan Jennings has 13 games in which he’s been on the field for at least 35 offensive plays, which has secured him a $1.6M bonus. He can make that $2.4M by reaching that threshold in each of the final two games.

49ers WR Kendrick Bourne is on pace for $1M of incentives based on receiving yards and playing time. He’s 74 yards away from another $250,000, and 9 catches away from $250,000 more.

Seahawks QB Sam Darnold is within reach of $2.5M of incentives (current number):
$500k for a 100+ Passer Rating (100.58)
$500k for 28 Pass TDs (24)
$500k for 4,000 Pass Yards (3,703)
$500k for 67.5% Completions (67.2%)
$500k for 70% Playing Time + Top 10 Team Net Off. YD

Buccaneers WR Sterling Shepard is 1 reception away from a $125,000 bonus. He’s also 29 receiving yards away from an additional $125,000.

Titans RB Tony Pollard needs 151 rushing yards to secure a $250,000 bonus. 2 more rushing touchdowns can add another $200,000 to that.

Titans WR Van Jefferson needs 4 catches to secure a $100,000 bonus.

The Detroit Lions were officially eliminated from postseason contention following a Week 17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions now enter offseason mode facing more major financial decisions, with an ugly 2025 now in their back pocket.

Detroit sits with about $14M of projected cap space against an estimated $304M league cap for 2026, including 38 contracts (though two are set to void at the start of the new league year).

The Lions currently hold 9 draft picks in 2026, including projected compensatory picks in the 3rd and 4th rounds, and two 6th-round picks.

Early Offseason Questions

• Is the gas pedal still all the way down, or was 2025 a reality-check season?
• With a handful more of extension-eligible/needy players, can Detroit continue to retain their own at top of market prices, or will there be roster turnover forthcoming?

Notable Free Agents

(Spotrac Market Valuation APY)

ED Al-Quadin Muhammad ($8.3M)
LB Alex Anzalone ($7.5M)
DL Roy Lopez ($6.3M)
CB Amik Robertson ($4M)
DL D.J. Reader ($3.85M)
WR Kalif Raymond ($3.3M)

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Option Decisions

RB Jahmyr Gibbs

Despite oddly inconsistent usage at times in 2025, Gibbs continues to prove he’s one of the most dynamic weapons in all of football. The Lions won’t blink twice before exercising his 5th-year option for 2027, currently projected to be priced at around $14.2M. The 23-year-old currently projects toward a 3 year, $62M extension in our system.

LB Jack Campbell

Campbell isn’t just improving every year, but he’s quietly becoming one of the best linebackers in all of football this season, filling up the stat board across the gamut. The 25-year-old currently projects toward a top-of-the-market $21M per year extension in our system, which makes his estimated $16M 5th-year option salary for 2027 a veritable no-brainer.

Extension Candidate

(In addition to the two above names)

TE Sam LaPorta

The 2023 2nd-round pick becomes extension-eligible for the first time this winter, and was on pace to approach career high numbers before a Week 10 back injury paused his season. The injury is certainly a red flag to consider as extension discussions begin, but outside of this - the 24-year-old is projecting toward a 3 year, $53M contract in our system.

S Brian Branch

Branch was also on pace for his best overall season to date, before suffering a devastating Achilles tear during a Week 14 game against the Cowboys. Now facing an 8-12 month recovery window, the Lions may pause in adding a substantial extension to the fold this offseason until they see Branch return to full health. The 24-year-old is entering a contract year in 2026, and currently projects toward a 4 year, $80M contract in our system.

Bubble Candidates

OT Taylor Decker

Retirement Candidate

Decker has at least hinted at the idea of 2025 being his final season, and while the 32-year-old has 2 years, $39.2M remaining on his contract, none of it is currently guaranteed. There’s a $1.5M roster bonus due on March 15th, and the deal holds $9.4M of dead cap against a $21.3M cap figure for 2026.

RB David Montgomery

Trade Candidate

The 28-year-old is still a fully capable offensive weapon, but the usage is down across the board in 2025 (especially as it pertains to the passing game), which leaves a small crack in the door open for the Lions to be turning their focus elsewhere going forward. None of the $15M owed over the next two seasons is currently guaranteed, and there’s $4.8M of dead cap against an $8.3M figure for 2026.

TE Brock Wright

Release Candidate

A very serviceable blocking/complementary Tight End, Wright suffered a trachea injury in November that ended his 2025 campaign. With a non-guaranteed $3.7M owed in 2026, Detroit may opt for a bit of cap savings this coming March ($947k).

CB Terrion Arnold

Trade Candidate

A rough 2024 season followed up by a Week 5 season-ending shoulder injury for 2025 puts the future of Arnold in a bit of doubt. With question marks all across Detroit’s secondary this offseason, the former 1st-round pick could be quietly shopped in the coming months. With 2 years, $4.85M (guaranteed) remaining plus a potential 5th-year option for 2028, there may be a team or two looking to offer a change of scenery.

Potential Cap Conversions

QB Jared Goff’s cap number rises to $69.6M next season. A simple salary conversion (plus two void years) can open up a much needed $42.9M of space.

WR Amon-Ra St. Brown’s 2026 salary is already fully guaranteed. Converting it to bonus (plus two void years) frees up $21.5M.

DL Alim McNeill’s knee issues may have the Lions weary of moving money around too much (in order to preserve a cleaner out potential after 2026), but there’s over $18M of cap space to open up here if needed.

OT Penei Sewell’s 2026 salary is fully guaranteed. A simple salary conversion can free up nearly $15M of space.

CB D.J. Reed’s 2026 salary is fully guaranteed. A simple salary conversion can free up over $11M.

RELATED LINKS
2026 Lions Salary Cap Table
Lions 2026 Free Agents
Spotrac’s NFL Offseason Guide

After six weeks of discussion in the news around Trinity Rodman's contract negotiations and the NWSL's ability to compete with global salary offerings, the NWSL has announced the creation of a new player compensation mechanism designed to provide clubs with expanded flexibility to attract and retain high impact players.

Under the new rule, starting July 1st 2026, teams can utilize up to an additional $1,000,000 over the salary cap for high impact players. The amount will grow year-over-year at the same rate as the salary cap. High Impact Players can be signed immediately, as long as the contract terms do not require the use of the additional funding until July 1st. For any contract utilizing this provision, the cap charge of the high-impact player must be a minimum of 12% of the base salary cap.

Players must meet one of the following commercial or sporting criteria to be considered a high impact player: 

• Player is on SportsPro Media Top 150 Most Marketable Athletes within the one (1) year prior to the current league season; or,

• Player is selected in the Top 30 in Ballon d’Or voting in the two (2) years prior to the current league season; or

• Player is selected in the Top 40 of the Guardian Top 100 football players in the world in the two (2) years prior; or

• Player is selected in the Top 40 of ESPN FC Top 50 football players in the world in the two (2) years prior; or

• Top 11 minutes played for the USWNT in the prior two (2) calendar years for field players for all competition types; or

• Top one (1) minutes played for USWNT in the prior two (2) calendar years for goalkeepers for all competition types; or

• Player selected as NWSL MVP Finalist within previous the two (2) league seasons; or

• Player selected to the End of Year NWSL Best XI First Team within the previous two (2) league seasons.