League important dates

January - July 2025

8-Jan Beginning at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the Wednesday following the final regular season weekend, rosters are frozen for clubs participating in the postseason with limited exceptions.

January 11-13 Super Wild Card Weekend

Mid-January (Tentative) Deadline for college players who are underclassmen to apply for Special Eligibility.

January 18-19 Divisional Playoff Games

20-Jan NCAA National Championship Game (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia)

26-Jan AFC & NFC Championship Games

30-Jan East-West Shrine Bowl

February

1-Feb Senior Bowl (Hancock-Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Alabama)

2-Feb Pro Bowl Games

9-Feb Super Bowl LIX (Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana)

18-Feb Beginning this date through at 4:00 p.m., New York time on March 4, clubs may designate Franchise or Transition Players.

February 24 – March 3 NFL Scouting Combine (Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana)

March

4-Mar Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

March 10-12 Negotiation Period. During the period beginning at 12:00 noon, New York time, on March 10 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 12, clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2024 Player Contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 12.

During the above two-day negotiating period, a prospective UFA who is not represented by an NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor (“Unrepresented Player”) is permitted to communicate directly with a new club’s front office officials (excluding the Head Coach and other members of the club’s coaching staff) regarding contract negotiations. The club is responsible for confirming the player’s status as an Unrepresented Player.

No prospective Unrestricted Free Agent is permitted to execute a contract with a new club until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 12.

12-Mar The 2025 League Year and Free Agency signing period begin at 4:00 p.m., New York time.

Trading period for 2025. Trading begins at 4:00 p.m., New York time, after expiration of all 2024 contracts.

The first day of the 2025 League Year will end at 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 12. Clubs will receive a Personnel Notice that will include all transactions submitted to the league office during the period between 4:00 p.m., New York time, and 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 12.

March 30-April 2 Annual League Meeting (The Breakers, Palm Beach, Florida)

April

7-Apr Clubs that hired a new Head Coach after the end of the 2024 regular season may begin offseason workout programs.

16-Apr Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview, or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at its club facility.

18-Apr Deadline for Restricted Free Agents to sign Offer Sheets.

21-Apr Clubs with returning Head Coaches may begin offseason workout programs.

23-Apr Deadline for Prior Club to exercise Right of First Refusal to Restricted Free Agents who signed offer sheets.

Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview (including video and phone calls), or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at any location.

April 24-26 NFL Draft, Green Bay, Wisconsin.

May

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

May 2-5 or Clubs may elect to hold their one three-day post-Draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday on one of the two weekends following the Draft.

May 9-12

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.

Mid-July 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.

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.

Date	2025 FFL89 Events
Feb. 23	11 am online - year end meetimg
Feb 24-Mar 3	Combine Indianapolis, In
Mar. 1	FFL89 2023 season begins
Mar.	NFL Pro days begin
Apr. 24	Round 1 NFL rookie draft
Apr. 25	Rouns 2 -3 NFL draft
Apr. 26	Rounds 4 - 7 NFL draft
July 27	10th Rookie draft 12 pm - online
July 28	Draft board posted on FFL89.com
Aug 11	extra trading year added (8-1)
Aug 23	Protect list due - 10:59 pm CST
Aug 24	Protect list board posted
Aug 24 - 27	PUP players may be put on IR frees up the roster spot
Aug 24 - 28	Draft prep week
Aug 26	NFL roster cut date to 53 from 90
Aug 28	draft board posted and rosters frozen until 7pm
Aug 28	FFL89 36th draft - 7 pm - online
Sept. 4	NFL season begins
Nov. 12	Trading ends 10:59 pm