Buyer beware: 2026 NFL free agency features several high-risk players

Spending big in NFL free agency can lead to buyer's remorse, and these players could leave their future teams with pangs of regret.

In NFL free agency, spending sprees don't quite elicit the same level of shaming they once did.

Every year, the pool of available talent thins out considerably in advance of the new league year, as extensions and franchise tags prevent elite players from hitting the open market in full. But that doesn't prevent a handful of teams from using their war chest of available cap space. And with the salary cap continuing to swell annually – this year to $301.2 million – teams can move on from free-agency misses while still finding ways to absorb sizable dead-cap hits.

Still, whiffing on a big contact for an outside acquisition can be a painful setback for a general manager. And more than a handful of notable players this year come with a good degree of caution for any team considering signing them.

Here are eight free agents who could be among the riskiest players to sign on the open market this offseason, with their place on USA TODAY Sports' top 100 free agent rankings in parentheses:

Any team looking to safeguard its quarterback with free-agent reinforcements is probably going to have to pay the offensive tackle tax. And they're not going to like it.