By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Pro Football Writer
Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III is the new running back for Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, Miami settled on Malik Willis for a reset at quarterback and receiver Mike Evans is leaving Tampa Bay after 12 years.
People with knowledge of the agreements told The Associated Press on Monday, the opening day of NFL free agency, that Walker was leaving Seattle after winning a championship and the Dolphins reached a deal with Willis after announcing earlier in the day that they were releasing Tua Tagovailoa.
The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because contracts can’t be signed until Wednesday, the first day of the new league year.
The negotiating window opened with a flurry of significant deals, including Indianapolis keeping its top free agent in receiver Alex Pierce.
Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and the Carolina Panthers agreed on a four-year, $120 million contract with $80 million guaranteed. Philadelphia was hoping to retain Phillips after sending a third-round pick to Miami for him at the trade deadline last season. Phillips had five sacks combined for the Dolphins and the Eagles.
The Dallas Cowboys added edge rusher Rashan Gary in a trade with Green Bay for a 2027 fourth-round pick. The Packers acquired star Micah Parsons from the Cowboys a week before the season started last year. Gary was the 12th overall pick in the draft in 2019, two years before Dallas drafted Parsons in the same spot.
Tennessee was among the teams with the most to spend going into free agency and tapped connections to first-year coach Robert Saleh and new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll on a busy day for the Titans.
Walker and the Chiefs agreed to a three-year deal worth up to $45 million, with $28.7 million guaranteed. The 25-year-old fills perhaps the biggest need as the Chiefs try to bounce back from a 6-11 season. Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, their top two running backs, are both free agents.
The deal came as Kansas City was nearing an agreement to bring back four-time All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce for his 14th season.
Walker is the fourth Super Bowl MVP to change teams the following season: Larry Brown went from the Cowboys to the Raiders in 1996, Desmond Howard from the Packers to the Raiders in 1997 and Dexter Jackson from Tampa Bay to Arizona in 2003.
The Dolphins reached an agreement with Willis a few hours after dumping Tagovailoa and incurring a record $99 million hit on their salary cap. Willis will reunite with general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and first-year coach Jeff Hafley. They were together in Green Bay, where Willis spent the past two seasons.
Miami made another move by agreeing to trade safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the New York Jets for a seventh-round pick.
The Jets further revamped their defense by agreeing to deals with former Saints linebacker Demario Davis, who will return for a third stint in New York, and former Bengals edge rusher Joseph Ossai.
The 49ers added a proven pass catcher in Evans for quarterback Brock Purdy, agreeing to a three-year contract with a player who had 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first 11 seasons before injuries limited Evans to eight games in 2025.
The 32-year-old gives the Niners a proven receiver with the team planning to release Brandon Aiyuk; they placed him on the reserve/left squad list last season after he stopped showing up to rehabilitate a knee injury that had sidelined him for a year.
The Colts keeping Pierce on a $116 million, four-year deal coincided with them sending Michael Pittman Jr. to Pittsburgh for a late-round draft pick. Pittman spent his first six seasons with Indianapolis.
The Tennessee headliners were defensive end John Franklin-Myers and cornerback Alontae Taylor on deals with annual average values of at least $20 million. Franklin-Myers played for the New York Jets when Saleh was their head coach.
The Titans filled a need at receiver by adding Wan’Dale Robinson, who was drafted by the Giants when Daboll was a rookie head coach in 2022. Daboll was fired by the Giants last season.
Another former Giants player, cornerback Cor’Dale Flott, also is headed to the Titans, who are rebuilding a battered secondary and have a decision looming on L’Jarius Sneed’s future. Sneed has no interceptions in two injury-played seasons.
Long snapper Morgan Cox is returning to Tennessee for a sixth consecutive season and 17th overall in the NFL.
The 25-year-old Robinson became the first player 5-foot-8 or shorter to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving since 5-7 Richard Johnson in 1989 and just the third since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Robinson had 1,014 yards on 92 catches.
The 37-year-old Davis was drafted in the third round by the Jets out of Arkansas State in 2012 and returned in 2017 after a year in Cleveland. He played the last eight seasons for the Saints — including five with current Jets coach Aaron Glenn as the defensive backs coach.
Ossai had five sacks in each of the last two seasons for Cincinnati.
The New York Giants are re-signing tight end Chris Manhertz and running back Devin Singletary, two offensive holdovers for new coach John Harbaugh. The team also re-signed receiver/returner Gunner Olszewski.
The Vikings kept one of their unrestricted free agents off the market by agreeing to terms on a new contract with 10th-year veteran linebacker Eric Wilson, a three-year deal valued at $22.5 million, with $12.5 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network.
Wilson, who returned to his original team last season, had career highs in tackles for loss (17), sacks (6 1/2), quarterback hits (10) and forced fumbles (four).
Cleveland added guard Zion Johnson, a 2022 first-round pick who spent his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. The Browns are looking at an overhaul in the offense, with several starters in free agency.
Running back J.K. Dobbins is returning to Denver on a two-year contract. He ran for 772 yards and four touchdowns over 10 games before a foot injury in November ended his season. Dobbins returned to practice before the AFC championship but didn’t dress for the 10-7 loss to New England.
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