The Seattle Seahawks were dominant in their Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots. One of the biggest catalysts of their success was Sam Darnold, whom they signed in free agency last year.
Now that teams are starting to prepare for the 2026 NFL season, they are looking forward to the start of free agency, aiming to add impactful players like Darnold and make a run at the Super Bowl.
When Will the 2026 NFL Free Agency Start?
The 2026 free agency period opens March 11 at 4 p.m. ET, but the work shaping next season’s rosters started weeks ago. Front offices across the league operate under deadlines that cascade into one another, and understanding that timeline reveals how billion-dollar decisions are made.
Teams have until March 3 at 4 p.m. ET to designate franchise tag or transition tag on players. That deadline matters more than any other on the calendar because it determines which impact players actually reach the open market.
The franchise tag locks a player to a one-year deal worth the average of the top five salaries at their position. Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson and Dallas’ George Pickens headline the names driving extension talks or tag decisions. If Hendrickson hits the market, he resets the edge rusher market. If Dallas tags Pickens, it keeps one of 2025’s most productive receivers off the board while potentially setting up a sign-and-trade scenario.
Daniel Jones will also be a free agent in the offseason, but based on recent reports, the Indianapolis Colts are looking to sign him to a multi-year extension as he recovers from an Achilles injury.
Those decisions create a ripple effect. Teams waiting to see if Hendrickson becomes available adjust their own extension timelines. Free agents targeting specific markets recalibrate based on who gets tagged. The combine runs Feb. 23 through March 2, but scouts aren’t just evaluating draft prospects. They’re building contingency boards for free agency based on which veterans their team can retain and which it cannot.
READ MORE: Top 100 2026 NFL Free Agent Rankings
The legal tampering period begins at noon ET on March 9 and runs through 3:59:59 p.m. ET on March 11. During this two-day window, teams can contact certified agents of pending unrestricted free agents and negotiate deals. No contracts can be executed until 4 p.m. ET on March 11, but this window is where the foundation gets laid.
General managers use these two days to gauge market conditions, set price points, and structure offers. Agents field multiple calls and create leverage. The perception that free agency “starts” on March 11 misses the reality that most significant deals are agreed to during the tampering window and announced when the league year officially opens.
2026 NFL Salary Cap Details
The official salary cap figure for 2026 hasn’t been announced yet. The NFL has informed teams that the cap will fall between $301.2 million and $305.7 million, with Over The Cap projecting the midpoint at $303.5 million. That represents a significant jump from the 2025 cap of $279.2 million. The official number is typically finalized in early March and directly affects which teams can be aggressive bidders.
The Tennessee Titans currently have the most cap space for next season, followed by the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers. Seattle and the New York Jets each project to have more than $70 million in cap space.
Those teams enter free agency with the flexibility to pursue multiple impact players. Others face tougher math. Teams must submit qualifying offers to restricted free agents before 4 p.m. ET on March 11, all while staying under the cap.
Other Important Dates for the 2026 NFL Season
The restricted free agent market operates on a separate timeline. Teams have until April 17 to sign offer sheets for restricted free agents. The original team then has until April 22 to match. That creates a secondary market for players who don’t command unrestricted deals but still hold value as starters or quality depth.
The draft runs April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. Free agency and the draft aren’t separate events. Teams build draft boards knowing which positions they addressed in free agency. A team that lands an edge rusher in March approaches the draft differently than one still searching for pass rush help.
The deadline for teams to visit, interview, or conduct physicals with draft-eligible players is April 15, creating a compressed window between free agency and the draft where evaluation overlaps with roster construction.
One often-overlooked deadline: July 15 at 4 p.m. ET. That’s when franchise-tagged players must reach long-term deals with their current teams or play the season on the tag. After that date, no extensions are allowed until after the regular season ends. Teams using the tag as a negotiating tool face a hard deadline to convert short-term control into a long-term commitment.
Teams with new head coaches hired after the 2025 season can begin offseason workout programs on April 6. Teams with returning coaches start April 20. That stagger reflects the league’s acknowledgment that new staff need extra time to install systems and build culture. The difference matters for free agents deciding between multiple offers. Joining a new coaching staff means less certainty about scheme fit, but potentially more opportunity to define a role.
Another key date arrives on May 1, when teams must exercise fifth-year options on players selected in the first round of the 2023 draft. Those decisions shape how teams allocate resources between retaining young talent on rookie contracts versus pursuing established veterans in free agency.
The calendar turns quickly once the Super Bowl ends. Front offices already know their draft position. They know which players they must re-sign, which they can afford to lose, and which positions demand upgrades. The next month determines how those plans become reality.
