The NFL salary cap is projected to surpass $300 million for the first time in league history, the NFL Combine is about to get underway, and the franchise tag window is already open.
The 2026 NFL offseason is moving fast, with front offices navigating a five-month stretch that runs through Indianapolis and Pittsburgh before training camps open. Here’s every date that matters to the NFL world between now and September.
Dates for the NFL Combine, Free Agency, the NFL Draft, and More
Feb. 17: Franchise and transition tag window opens
Beginning with this date, teams can designate franchise-tag or transition-tag players.
Feb. 23 through March 2: NFL Combine
The league invited 319 prospects to this year’s event at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Beyond the on-field testing, the real action happens behind the scenes around downtown Indy, where agents and front office executives quietly lay the groundwork for deals that won’t become official for another week.
March 3: Franchise and transition tag deadline (4 p.m. ET)
The tagging window opened Feb. 17, so clubs are already evaluating their options. Any team that hasn’t applied a tag by 4 p.m. ET on March 3 loses the ability to do so.
March 9 through 11: Legal tampering period
Beginning at noon ET on March 9, clubs can contact and negotiate with agents of pending unrestricted free agents. No contracts can be signed until 4 p.m. ET on March 11, but the league’s worst-kept secret is that many marquee deals are essentially done before the new league year even starts.
March 11: The 2026 league year and free agency begin (4 p.m. ET)
All 2025 contracts expire on this date. The trading period opens. Clubs can officially sign free agents. The salary cap is projected to land between $301.2 million and $305.7 million per club, representing a jump of more than $20 million from the 2025 cap of $279.2 million. The influx of cash will reshape how aggressively teams attack the open market.
March 29 through April 1: Annual League Meeting
Owners and league officials will gather in Phoenix to discuss potential rule changes.
April 6: Clubs with new head coaches may begin offseason workout programs
Teams that retained their coaching staffs have to wait until April 20.
April 15: Deadline for clubs to host draft-eligible players for facility visits
These visits give teams a final controlled look at prospects before the draft. It’s a chance to evaluate personality, football IQ, and medical history inside their own building.
April 17: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets
Any restricted free agent who hasn’t signed an offer sheet from another club by this date will remain with his original team on the qualifying offer for the 2026 season.
April 22: Deadline for prior clubs to exercise right of first refusal on restricted free agents
This is also the final day that teams can interview, test, or conduct physicals with draft-eligible players at any location.
April 23 through 25: NFL Draft
The NFL Draft returns to Pittsburgh for the first time since 1948, staged at Acrisure Stadium and Point State Park along the North Shore. One notable procedural change: first-round picks will operate under an eight-minute clock, reduced from 10 minutes. It’s the first timing adjustment since 2008, when the allotment dropped from 15 to 10 minutes. The shortened window could add pressure on teams trying to complete draft-night trades.
May 1: Fifth-year option deadline for 2023 first-round picks
Teams must decide whether to pick up the option on players from that class, locking them in for a fifth season at a fully guaranteed salary.
May 1 through 4 or May 8 through 11: Post-draft rookie minicamps
Clubs choose one of two weekends for a three-day minicamp.
May 19 through 20: Spring League Meeting
Owners will gather in Orlando, giving them another chance to revisit rule proposals that didn’t gain traction in March.
July 15: Franchise tag extension deadline (4 p.m. ET)
Any club that tagged a player must reach a multi-year deal by this date. After July 15, the tagged player can sign only a one-year contract that can’t be extended until after the regular season ends.
Mid-July: Training camps open
Rookies can report up to seven days before the veteran reporting date. Veteran quarterbacks and injured players may report as early as five days before the full squad.
After training camp, the 2026 NFL season will kick off in September. But before then, teams have some big decisions to make in the draft, free agency, and more.
