Here’s a Look at Some Important Dates on the 2025 NFL Offseason Calendar

The Kansas City Chiefs saw their season come to a disappointing end in Super Bowl LIX, but the work to return to the league’s mountaintop is already underway.

Here’s a look at some important dates to keep in mind on the NFL calendar over the next several months.

February 18: Beginning on this date through 3:00 p.m. CT on March 4, teams may designate Franchise or Transition Players.

February 24 – March 3: The NFL Scouting Combine takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

March 4: Teams must designate Franchise or Transition Players by 3:00 p.m. CT on this date.

March 10 – March 12: Teams are permitted to contact and enter into contract negations with the certified agents of players (or the player himself, if they do not have an agent) who will become unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their 2024 contracts at 3 p.m. CT on March 12. This is referred to as the negotiating period.

March 12: The 2025 League Year begins at 3 p.m. CT, meaning that unrestricted free agents are permitted to sign contracts with any team. The onset of the new League Year also means the following:

Prior to the 3 p.m. CT deadline, teams must exercise options for 2025 on all players who have an option clause in their contracts.
Additionally, prior to the 3 p.m. CT deadline, teams must submit qualifying offers to their restricted free agents with expiring contracts in order to retain a right of first refusal (and compensation) should the player sign an offer sheet with another team.
The trading period begins at 3 p.m. CT. No trades can officially take place before this time.
Prior to 3 p.m. CT, all teams must be under the 2025 salary cap.
Lastly, prior to 3 p.m. CT, teams must submit a minimum salary tender to players with expiring contracts and who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agent credit in order to retain exclusive negotiating rights.
April 18: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.

April 21: Teams with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs.

April 23: Deadline for prior team to exercise right of first refusal on restricted free agents who signed offer sheets.

April 24 – 26: The NFL Draft takes place in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

May 1: Deadline for teams to exercise the Fifth-Year Option for players selected in the first round of the 2022 Draft.

May 2 – 5 or May 9 – 12: Teams are permitted to hold one three-day post-Draft rookie minicamp between one of the two indicated weekends.

12-May Rookie Football Development Programs begin.
14-May NFLPA Rookie Premiere, Los Angeles, California.
May 20-21 Spring League Meeting/Coach Accelerator (Omni Viking Lakes Hotel, Minneapolis, Minnesota)
June
June 1 Deadline for prior club to send “June 1 Tender” to its unsigned restricted free agents who received a qualifying offer for a right of first refusal only in order for such player to be subject to the CBA’s “June 15 Tender” provision.

June 15 Deadline for club to withdraw higher qualifying offer to restricted free agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting lower “June 15 Tender” of one-year contract at 110 percent of the player’s prior-year Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior-year contract carried forward unchanged).
Late June Rookie Readiness Program to be held at individual clubs.
July

July 15 At 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for any club that designated a Franchise Player to sign such player to a multiyear contract or extension. After this date, the player may sign only a one-year contract with his prior club for the 2025 season, and such contract cannot be extended until after the club’s last regular season game.

Clubs are permitted to open preseason training camp for rookies (defined as a player who has never signed an NFL player contract with a club in a prior league year) beginning seven days prior to the club’s mandatory reporting date for veteran players. A club’s preseason training camp will be deemed to have officially opened on the designated reporting date for all rookies

Clubs may require first-year players (defined as a player who signed a player contract with any NFL club in a prior league year, but who does not have a pension-credited season) to report on the designated reporting date for all rookies, or at any time thereafter, including, but not limited to, the designated reporting date for veteran quarterbacks and injured players, or the designated reporting date for all other veteran players.

Veteran quarterbacks and “injured players” (as defined in CBA Article 21, Section 6) may be required to report to the club’s preseason training camp no earlier than five days immediately prior to the mandatory reporting date for all other veteran players, provided the club has already opened (or simultaneously opens) its official preseason training camp for all rookies.
July 21 At 4:00 p.m., New York time, signing period ends for Transition Players with outstanding tenders. After this date and until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights.

July 21 At 4:00 p.m., New York time, on July 21 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp [July 16 in 2025], whichever is later) signing period ends for unrestricted free agents to whom a “UFA Tender” was made by prior club. After this date and until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights.