Matchup Previews
Auction Preview: The 184-Man Board and the Money That Matters
Mahomes, Stafford, Kelce and sixteen other quarterbacks hit the block. Here's where the money should go — and where it won't.
By Dispatch Staff · 8/9/2026
One hundred eighty-four veterans were released on lock day. Every one of them is biddable, with their 2025 salary serving as the opening number. Here''s how the board breaks.
The quarterback flood
Eighteen quarterbacks were released at $1.6M or higher: Matthew Stafford ($3.8M), Drake Maye ($3.7M), Jared Goff ($3.3M), Patrick Mahomes ($3.0M), Bo Nix ($3.0M), Baker Mayfield ($3.0M), Sam Darnold ($2.7M), Aaron Rodgers ($2.6M), Jordan Love ($2.5M), C.J. Stroud ($2.4M), Bryce Young ($2.3M), Cam Ward ($2.0M), Geno Smith ($1.9M), Tua Tagovailoa ($1.8M), Brock Purdy ($1.7M) and more.
Prediction: the market breaks. Twelve teams, most already holding a passer, chasing eighteen names. Somebody gets Mahomes for under $2.0M in the third hour and the six teams who spent $5.0M on a franchise tag will feel it.
Where the real money should go
The scarcity isn''t at quarterback — it''s at pass-catcher and back. Michael Pittman ($1.0M), Travis Kelce ($1.0M), Kyle Pitts ($1.0M) and Juwan Johnson ($1.0M) headline a thin tight end pool. Tony Pollard ($1.6M), Zach Charbonnet ($1.2M), Jordan Mason ($1.1M), Tyrone Tracy Jr. ($1.1M) and Kyle Monangai ($1.1M) are the backfield lottery tickets.
Who can actually bid
| Team | Room |
|---|---|
| Jersey City / Boston | $13.0M |
| Toledo | $12.8M |
| Florida | $12.5M |
| Alaska | $11.7M |
| Newark | $10.7M |
| Montclair / West Hartford | $10.4M |
| Philadelphia | $10.2M |
| Louisville | $9.8M |
| Maine | $9.6M |
| Chicago | $6.9M |
Jersey City and Boston set the price on everything. Chicago is a spectator.
Don''t forget the K/DEF tax
Seahawks ($1.4M), Texans ($1.3M), Jaguars ($1.1M), Browns ($1.1M), Eagles ($1.0M) and kickers Jason Myers, Brandon Aubrey and Ka''imi Fairbairn all went back into the pool. Every dollar you burn on a defense in hour one is a dollar you don''t have on Pittman in hour three.
Full auction board: Free Agents.
Photo: Patrick Mahomes — All-Pro Reels / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)