Irish In The NFL — Free Agency Tracker
A few months after starting for the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, former Notre Dame defensive tackle Sheldon Day official became an unrestricted free agent March 18.
With his future in professional football uncertain, he is far from alone. The NFL is a fickle business, where player careers are short and the money is not always guaranteed.
More than 30 former Fighting Irish players on NFL rosters in 2019, about a quarter of them were in a position to become a free agent, and that doesn’t include players who will get waived or cut before or during the 2020 preseason.
DT Sheldon Day
Background:
• Drafted in the fourth round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016.
• Played for the San Francisco 49ers from 2017-19.
• Recorded one sack and one quarterback hit in 2019.
Status: Still an unsigned free agent, but it is possible Day could remain with the 49ers.
TE Tyler Eifert
Background:
• Drafted in the first round by the Cincinnati Bengal in 2013.
• Eifert was with the Bengals from 2013-19.
• He played all 16 games for the first time in his professional career in 2019. He snagged 43 receptions for 436 yards and three touchdowns.
Status: Still an unsigned free agent. Bleacher Report predicts Eifert will end up with the New England Patriots, a team that showed interest in trading for him last season.
DB Bennett Jackson
Background:
• A sixth-round pick by the New York Giants in 2014.
• Was with the Giants organization in 2014 and 2015, but injuries derailed his career. He ended up playing for the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets in 2019, where he made his first appearance in an NFL game.
Status: The New York Jets did not extend a tender offer to Jackson, giving him the ability to sign with any team. He still remains a free agent.
TE Ben Koyack
Background:
• A seventh-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015.
• Played four seasons for the Jaguars, appearing in 48 games and grabbing 25 receptions for 208 yards and one touchdown.
Status: He is an unrestricted free agent per Spotrac.
RB CJ Prosise
Background:
• A third-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2016.
• Due to a number of injuries, Prosise played 25 games in four seasons with the Seahawks. He has a total of 101 career touches in the NFL for 657 and two touchdowns.
Status: A few days into NFL free agency, Prosise is considered one of the best available free agent running backs.
DL Isaac Rochell
Background:
• A seventh-round pick by the San Diego Chargers in 2017.
• Has played for the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers for three seasons in the NFL as a backup defensive lineman. Rochell played in all 16 games in each of the last two seasons, recording a total of six sacks and 41 tackles.
Status: Received a tender offer from the Chargers March 17.
OT Ronnie Stanley
Background:
• The sixth overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2016.
• Stanley played for the Ravens for the first four years of his career, becoming a first-team All-Pro in 2019 and is generally considered the best pass blocker in the NFL.
Status: On March 18, the Ravens picked up Stanley’s fifth-year team option for the 2020 season, which is worth $12,866,000. He could become a free agent next season, but it seems more likely that the Ravens will want to extend one of the best tackles in the NFL to protect quarterback Lamar Jackson.
LB Manti Te’o
Background:
• A second-round pick by the San Diego Chargers in the 2013 NFL Draft.
• Played with the Chargers from 2013-16 and with the New Orleans Saints from 2017-19.
• After going unsigned for much of the 2019 season, Te’o was picked up by the Saints late in the year and played in three regular season games.
Status: Te’o is currently an unsigned free agent. After sitting out for a majority of the 2019 season, it is unclear if another team will pick the former Fighting Irish linebacker up.
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