Ten players traded in first week of NFL free agency

Geno Smith (CBS, Wikimedia Commons)

This is the first week of NFL free agency. However, players are not just switching teams this week via the free agent market. Here are 10 NFL players who have been traded. 

Garrett Bradbury

The New England Patriots traded center Garrett Bradbury of Charlotte, North Carolina to the Chicago Bears for a fifth round pick in 2027. The Bears are Bradbury’s third NFL team following six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and one season with the Patriots.

Minkah Fitzpatrick

The Miami Dolphins traded safety Minkah Fitzpatrick of Old Bridge, New Jersey to the New York Jets for a seventh round pick in 2026. Fitzpatrick has played three seasons with the Miami Dolphins (in 2018, 2019, and 2025), and six seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2025, the five-time Pro Bowler had 82 combined tackles (59 solo tackles and 23 assisted tackles), four tackles for a loss, two quarterback hits, one interception for seven yards, six pass deflections, one forced fumble for two yards, two fumble recoveries and one sack.

The first fumble recovery came in a 27-21 Dolphins win over the New York Jets on September 29. The second fumble recovery came in a 30-13 Dolphins win over the Buffalo Bills on November 9. The first quarterback hit came in a 16-13 Dolphins overtime win over the Washington Commanders on November 16. The sack, second quarterback hit and forced fumble came in a 21-17 Dolphins win over the New Orleans Saints on November 30.

Zaire Franklin

The Indianapolis Colts have traded linebacker Zaire Franklin of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to the Green Bay Packers. The 2024 Pro Bowler spent the last eight seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. Also in 2024, Franklin led the NFL with 173 combined tackles. In 2025, Franklin had 125 combined tackles (62 solo tackles and 63 assisted tackles), seven tackles for a loss, six quarterback hits, five pass deflections, two sacks and one forced fumble. The first sack came in a 40-6 Colts win over the Las Vegas Raiders on October 5, and the second sack came in a 31-25 Colts overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons on November 9.

Rashan Gary

The Green Bay Packers have traded defensive end Rashan Gary to to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth round pick in the 2027 NFL Entry Draft. Gary has spent the last seven seasons with the Packers and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2024.

In 2025, Gary had 45 combined tackles (25 solo tackles and 20 assisted tackles), 20 quarterback hits, 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one pass deflection. The forced fumble came in a 27-23 Packers win over the Arizona Cardinals on October 19. The fumble recovery came in a 27-20 Packers win over the New York Giants on November 16. The pass deflection came in a 23-6 Packers win over the Minnesota Vikings on November 23.

Taron Johnson

The Buffalo Bills have traded cornerback Taron Johnson of Sacramento, California to the Las Vegas Raiders with a seventh round pick for a sixth round pick. Johnson spent the last eight seasons with the Buffalo Bills. In 2025, Johnson had 57 combined tackles (34 solo tackles and 23 assisted tackles), one tackle for a loss and four pass deflections. The tackle for a loss came in a 31-21 Bills win over the Miami Dolphins on September 18.

Kai Kroeger

The New Orleans Saints have traded punter Kai Kroeger of Lake Forest, Illinois to the Houston Texans with a seventh round pick in the 2028 NFL Draft for a sixth round pick in the 2028 NFL Draft. Kroeger had 56 punts with the Saints last season for 2511 yards.

Osa Odighizuwa

The Dallas Cowboys have traded defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to the San Francisco 49ers for a third round pick in 2026. Odighizuwa is joining his second NFL team after five seasons with the Cowboys. In 2025, Odighizuwa had 44 combined tackles (28 assisted tackles and 16 solo tackles), six tackles for a loss, 23 quarterback hits and 3.5 sacks.

Michael Pittman Jr.

The Indianapolis Colts have traded wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. of Woodland Hills, California to the Pittsburgh Steelers with a seventh round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for a sixth round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Pittman Jr. has spent the last six seasons with the Colts. In 2025, he had 80 catches for 784 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

Geno Smith

The Las Vegas Raiders have traded quarterback Geno Smith of Miramar, Florida to the New York Jets with a seventh round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for a sixth round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Smith is returning to the Jets after playing there from 2013 to 2016. He has also played with the New York Giants (2017), the Los Angeles Chargers (2018), the Seattle Seahawks (2020 to 2024), and the Las Vegas Raiders (2025). This past season, Smith completed 302 passes in 448 attempt for 3025 passing yards, with 19 touchdowns and a NFL high 17 interceptions. He also had 41 rushes for 109 rushing yards. While with the Seahawks in 2022 and 2023, Smith was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Colby Wooden

The Green Bay Packers traded defensive tackle Colby Wooden of Lawrenceville, Georgia to the Indianapolis Colts for Franklin. Wooden has played the last three seasons with the Packers. In 2025, Wooden had 50 combined tackles (26 solo tackles and 24 assisted tackles), six quarterback hits, three quarterback hits and one pass deflection. The pass deflection came in a 31-24 Packers win over the Detroit Lions on November 27.