2026 IDP Free Agent Primer: Linebackers

Feb 16, 2026

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Im

Editors note:

Free agency and the draft will sneak up on us over the next few weeks and months, so it's never too early to start planning ahead. I'll have thoughts on all the relevant incoming rookies soon, but let's start our offseason by looking at the known commodities at linebacker who could be changing teams, and the teams that may have needs at those subsequent positions. I will note that this 2026 rookie class is deep at linebacker, which undoubtedly complicates things for the older veterans at the end of this list.

I'll list the player, their age entering the 2026 season, and their 2025 team. I'll finish my notes with a prediction of where they'll be in 2026. Let's dig in.

More IDP Primers: Defensive Backs | Defensive Line

2026 Free Agents: Linebacker

Quay Walker (26) - Green Bay Packers

I think the Packers would like to have Quay Walker back, but it's become increasingly clear he'll likely play somewhere else in 2026. The Packers have depth at the position, and their current cap situation is less than ideal. Green Bay declined Walker's fifth-year $14.751 million option back in May. While Walker responded with a career-high 128 tackles, eight tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, and five passes defensed, finishing as the LB10 on a per-game basis, it doesn't make much sense for the Packers to extend him, with Edgerrin Cooper, Ty'Ron Hopper, and Isaiah McDuffie under contract in 2026.

Walker has the size and athleticism to be better in coverage than he's been, and he's still young, so an improvement is possible as he enters the next stage of his career. Walker likely lands one of the most lucrative contracts at the position this offseason, and he'll remain a top-20 IDP linebacker regardless of his landing spot.

2026 Team: Washington Commanders

Devin Lloyd (28) - Jacksonville Jaguars

In a lot of ways, Devin Lloyd had an ideal 2025 after the Jaguars declined his fifth-year option last May. Lloyd had a better 'real' season than IDP season, finishing as the LB38 in balanced scoring leagues, and big plays did almost all of the heavy lifting. In PFF's end-of-the-season grades, Lloyd was the LB3, posting elite metrics against the run, in coverage, and as a pass rusher.

With Lloyd unlikely to return to Jacksonville, his IDP prospects improve. Llyod should get an LB1-type contract, which should move him into an every-down role after playing less than 75% of the snaps in eight of his 14 games in 2025. I'd make the Commanders and Raiders the favorites to spend up in the linebacker market, and expect Quay Walker and Lloyd to fill their needs.

2026 Team: Las Vegas Raiders

Kaden Elliss (31) - Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons have undergone a complete overhaul this offseason, from the head coach to decision-makers in the front office. However, defensive coordinator Jeff Ullbrich is a rare holdover from the 2025 staff. Elliss will be 31 at the start of the 2026 season, and he'll likely land a lucrative multi-year deal this offseason. Elliss has legit pass-rushing chops, and while those edge snaps hurt his IDP floor at times, he does offer a ton of upside because of his sack and big-play abilities. He was the LB2 in standard IDP scoring in 2024, but dipped to LB20 in 2025.

Ullbrich recently said that replacing Elliss "would take more than one human being" because his ability to play the run, blitz, and drop into coverage gives Atlanta "rare multiplicity" they simply don't have elsewhere on the roster. Even so, Denver makes too much sense here. Sean Payton drafted him in New Orleans; his younger brother, Jonah, plays on the edge for Denver; and the Broncos have Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad hitting free agency, with only Dre Greenlaw under contract at the position.

2026 Team: Denver Broncos

Bobby Wagner (36) - Washington Commanders

The ageless wonder continues to put up LB1 seasons, remaining near the top of the list in run defense and run tackle efficiency yet again in 2025. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer just wrapped his 14th season with another 100-plus tackle campaign, his 13th in 14 years, and tacked on the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award for good measure. Still, it feels like his time in the nation's capital has come to an end. New defensive coordinator Daronte Jones spent his introductory press conference name-dropping Frankie Luvu, Quan Martin, and even sixth-round rookie Kain Medrano, who didn't play a single defensive snap in 2025, but Wagner's name was not mentioned.

I don't think Wagner signs a multi-year deal, but a one-year deal with one of his former NFC West clubs could make a lot of sense. Drake Thomas is a restricted free agent for the Seahawks, who also have Tyrice Knight on the roster to play alongside Ernest Jones, but Wagner's veteran presence on early-downs could be a fit. Same for the Rams, who could look to upgrade the LB2 spot after signing Nate Landman to an extension mid-season. Wagner's clearly lost a step in coverage, though, so the 2025 LB3 could tumble down the board in 2026, with a guaranteed three-down role being highly unlikely.

2026 Team: Los Angeles Rams

Devin White (28) - Las Vegas Raiders

Devin White was one of the biggest IDP surprises of the 2025 season, finishing as the LB2 overall, just a few points behind Miami's Jordyn Brooks. But he's a perfect example of why we can't look solely at his tackle and IDP production when projecting him into 2026. What made White an IDP asset to us makes him a liability to his football team.

In 2025, White allowed 71 receptions on 88 targets, the highest number of any linebacker in the league. Opposing quarterbacks completed 81% of their passes thrown in his direction, accumulating 533 yards against him, which ranked third among linebackers. His quarterback rating allowed was 92.0. Notably, his average depth of tackle was just 5.7 yards, the lowest among the top 25 tackle leaders, indicating that receivers and running backs were often reaching the second level before he could bring them down. Additionally, PFF charted 26 missed tackles for White, one of the highest totals in the league, resulting in a concerning 13% whiff rate for a starting middle linebacker.

White is still relatively young, and his raw traits and 2025 tackle production are likely good enough to convince someone to give him a chance to start in 2026. Colts general manager Chris Ballard has historically chased athletic traits, and they have a need at the position.

2026 Team: Indianapolis Colts

Lavonte David (36) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Lavonte David holds the keys to his 2026 future. The long-time Buccaneer could retire this offseason, but GM Jason Licht has repeatedly said that the door is open to returning if David wants to continue playing in 2026. What seems unlikely at this time is that David will search for the most lucrative free agent deal and suit up for someone else next season.

If he returns, he'll likely maintain his every-down role, with the Buccaneers severely limited with depth at the position. He finished 2025 as the LB32, LB39 on a per-game basis, and I think that's his ceiling moving forward.

2026 Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Demario Davis (37) - New Orleans Saints

It's unusual to be playing some of your best ball in your late 30s, but that was the case for Demario Davis in 2025. I thought Davis was a prime trade candidate at last season's deadline, but the Saints held onto the veteran despite having 2025 draft pick Danny Stutsman waiting in the wings.

Davis was the LB17 last season, and a better asset in tackle-heavy leagues than anything reliant on big plays moving forward. The Saints have expressed a strong desire to bring Demario back. GM Mickey Loomis has been very clear, stating, "We love Demario. I hope he's back." The team has financial motivation to finalize a deal, as allowing him to leave before March 11 would incur a significant dead cap hit. I think he's back on a one-year deal.

2026 Team: New Orleans Saints

Alex Singleton (33) - Denver Broncos

Fathertime is undefeated, and his job gets easier when you have some of the challenges that our tackle king, Alex Singleton, has faced over the past few seasons. Singleton, who finished 2025 as the LB28, should remain a solid LB2/3 in tackle-heavy scoring formats in 2026, regardless of where he lands. A 2024 knee injury sapped some of that first-step explosiveness, and he played through a broken thumb and testicular cancer, missing just one game. He's an absolute warrior, and thankfully, a cancer-free warrior moving forward.

He could return to Denver, who clearly knows his value as their green-dot signal-calling captain, but former Broncos defensive assistant Jim Leonhard joined Joe Brady's staff as the new defensive coordinator in Buffalo. The Bills have a need at linebacker who can solidify their leaky run defense, with Terrel Bernard struggling in 2025 and Matt Milano and Shaq Thompson also free agents.

2026 Team: Buffalo Bills

Christian Rozeboom (29) - Carolina Panthers

Injuries and Josey Jewell's retirement opened up opportunities for Christian Rozeboom in 2025. Rozeboom finished the season as the LB24 on a point-per-game basis, anchoring Ejiro Evero's defense as a run-hunting ballhawk for the Panthers. The Panthers could be looking to bring in a top-tier linebacker this offseason, but they're just barely in the black in effective cap space. Without a few roster moves, I'm not sure off-ball linebacker is going to be a priority for this front office.

2026 Team: Detroit Lions