On Thursday, the NFL released a full calendar of dates for not only the remainder of the 2024 season, but the start of the 2025 offseason as well. This is par for the course for this time of year so let’s quickly go over some key dates.
For starters, on Aug. 27 and prior to 4:00 PM/ET, all NFL teams must reduce their rosters to a maximum of 53 players on the Active/Inactive List. That date has long been known but it’s worth recapping just the same.
The trade deadline for the 2024 season is on Nov. 5 at 4:00 PM/ET. That’s yet another date we’ve known about now for several weeks now but is worth reiterating just the same.
On Feb. 10, the day after Super Bowl LIX is played, the waiver system begins for 2025.
Starting on Feb. 18 and through at 4:00 PM/ET on March 4, NFL teams are allowed to designate Franchise or Transition Players ahead of the official start of the 2025 league year.
The official start of the 2025 NFL league year is March 12 at 4:00 PM/ET. That’s also when teams need to be salary cap compliant for 2025.
The 2025 NFL Draft will take place from April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisc.
| 2024-25 Important NFL Dates | |
| JUNE | |
| 17-Jun | 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). |
| 18-Jun | Clubs may begin signing UFL players provided they have received written permission from the player’s UFL club and the player has been listed as a termination on the UFL Personnel Notice. |
| NFL clubs are permitted to request tryouts of UFL players beginning the day following a player’s last game (including playoffs) of the season. | |
| Mid-Late June | Rookie Readiness Program to be held by individual clubs. |
| July | |
| 15-Jul | Teams have until 4:00 PM/ET to sign a franchise-tagged 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 2024 season, and such contract cannot be extended until after the club’s last regular-season game. |
| Beginning on July 15, or on the first day any club begins its training camp, whichever is earlier, and concluding at 4:00 PM/ET, on the day of the roster reduction to 53 players, players in the Reserve List categories of Drafted; Unsigned, Exclusive Rights, First Refusal Rights, Unrestricted Free Agents with an individually negotiated Right of First Refusal, Franchise, and Transition will not count against the overall 90-player limit. | |
| 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 rear) 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 an NFL player contract with any 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. | |
| Mid-July | 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. |
| Beginning on the date that the first training camp opens for rookies through the last business day prior to the Super Bowl, all tryouts and visits will be reported to clubs on the Personnel Notice. | |
| 22-Jul | At 4:00 PM/ET, the signing period ends for transition players with outstanding tenders. After this date and until 4:00 PM/ET, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights. |
| At 4:00 PM/ET on July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp [July 17 in 2024], whichever is later) the signing period ends for unrestricted free agents to whom a “UFA Tender” was made by prior club. After this date and until 4:00 PM/ET, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights. | |
| August | |
| 1-Aug | Deadline for all clubs to conduct physical examinations pursuant to CBA Article 45, Section 2(c) to determine a player’s eligibility for the 2024 IP Benefit. |
| Hall of Fame Game, Houston Texans vs. Chicago Bears (Tom Benson HOF Stadium, Canton, Ohio) | |
| August 1-4 | Hall of Fame Weekend (Canton, Ohio) |
| 6-Aug | If a drafted rookie has not signed with his club by this date, he cannot be traded to any other club in 2024 and may sign a player contract only with the drafting club until the day of the draft in the 2025 league year. |
| August 8-11 | First Preseason Weekend |
| August 10-13 | Each club has until five days prior to its second preseason game to provide any tendered, but unsigned Exclusive Rights Player or Restricted Free Agent with written notice of the club’s intent to place the player on the Exempt List if the player fails to report at least the day before the club’s second preseason game. Such notice must also be sent to the NFLPA. |
| Once such notice has been provided, the club must place the player on the Exempt List. While on the Exempt List, the player will not be entitled to compensation for up to three regular-season games, depending upon the date the player reports to the club. | |
| Any such player who fails to report prior to the deadline will be ineligible to play or receive compensation for at least three games (preseason or regular season) from the time that he reports. | |
| August 15-18 | Second Preseason Weekend |
| August 22-25 | Third Preseason Weekend |
| 27-Aug | Prior to 4:00 pPM/ET, clubs must reduce rosters to a maximum of 53 players on the Active/Inactive List. |
| Simultaneously with the roster reduction to 53 players, clubs that have players in the categories of Active/Physically Unable to Perform or Active/Non-Football Injury or Illness must select one of the following options: place player on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform or Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness, whichever is applicable; terminate or request waivers with the designation of Failed Physical or Non- Football Injury or Illness, whichever is applicable; request waivers; terminate contract; trade contract; or continue to count the player on the Active List. | |
| Clubs are permitted to designate for return a maximum of two players who are placed on an applicable Reserve List during the business day of the final roster reduction. Any such player will immediately count against the club’s number of designations, even if the player does not subsequently return to practice. | |
| Players who are on the Reserve List or Exempt List and are not counting against the 90-player limit will begin to count against the 90-player limit. | |
| 28-Aug | Claiming period for players placed on waivers at the final roster reduction will expire at noon ET. |
| Upon receipt of the subsequent Personnel Notice, clubs may establish a practice squad of 17 players, as long as one player qualifies as an International Player. No club, including the player’s prior club, will be permitted to sign a player to a practice player contract until all clubs have received simultaneous notification via the above Personnel Notice that such player’s prior NFL player contract has been terminated via the waiver system. | |
| Beginning at 4:00 PM/ET, any player placed on Reserve/Injured, Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness, or Practice Squad; Injured during the regular season or postseason, may be designated for return later in the season, subject to the applicable procedures. | |
| September | |
| 1-Sep | Final day of preseason training camp for all clubs, as defined in CBA Article 23, Section 10. |
| September 2-7 | In accordance with the Personnel (Injury) Report Policy, each club is required to file a Practice Report with the NFL Communications department by 4:00 PM/ET, (or as soon as possible after the completion of practice) every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for a regular-season Monday game; Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday for a Wednesday game; Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for a Thursday game; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for a Friday game; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for a Saturday game; and Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for a Sunday game. |
| Each club must also file a weekly regular-season game status report with the NFL Communications department by 4:00 p.m., New York time (or as soon as possible after the completion of practice) on Saturday for a Monday game; Tuesday for a Wednesday game; Wednesday for a Thursday game, Thursday for a Friday game, Thursday for a Saturday game, and Friday for a Sunday game. An update must be reported if there is any change in a player’s condition after the initial Game Status Report is filed. | |
| 4-Sep | At 4:00 PM/ET, deadline for all NFL player contracts, practice player contracts, tender offers, and miscellaneous amounts to fit within each club’s 2024 salary cap, in anticipation of the midnight expiration of the Top 51 Rule. |
| 5-Sep | At 12:00 AM/ET, the Top 51 Rule expires for all NFL clubs. |
| September 5, 6, 8-9 | First Week of Regular-Season Games |
| September 6, 7, | Beginning on these dates, any player with at least four previous pension-credited seasons who is released from his Club’s Active List or Inactive List (or from his Club’s Reserve/Injured List if placement occurred after the club’s first regular-season game) is entitled to claim Termination Pay after the end of the regular season, subject to the terms and conditions of CBA Article 30. |
| 10-Sep | |
| September 12, | Second Week of Regular-Season Games |
| 15-16 | |
| September 19, | Third Week of Regular-Season Games |
| 22-23 | |
| September 26, | Fourth Week of Regular-Season Games |
| 29-30 | |
| September 27, 30, | Beginning on the day after a club’s fourth regular-season game (including any bye week), it is permitted to begin practicing players on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform and Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness (if the player failed his preseason physical due to a non-football injury or illness) for a period not to exceed 21 days. Players may be activated during the 21-day practice period, or prior to 4:00 PM/ET, on the day after the conclusion of the 21-day period. |
| 1-Oct | |
| October | |
| October 3, 6-7 | Fifth Week of Regular-Season Games |
| October 10, 13-14 | Sixth Week of Regular-Season Games |
| 15-Oct | Deadline for any player claiming the 2024 Injury Protection benefit to file a grievance. |
| October 15-16 | Fall League Meeting (The Whitley, Atlanta, Ga.) |
| October 17, 20-21 | Seventh Week of Regular-Season Games |
| October 24, 27-28 | Eighth Week of Regular-Season Games |
| November | |
| October 31, | Ninth Week of Regular-Season Games |
| November 3-4 | |
| 4-Nov | Any increase in a player’s 2024 salary from a renegotiation or extension that is received by the Management Council after 4:00 PM/ET, on this day, will be treated as signing bonus, and prorated over the entire term of the player contract, including 2024. |
| 5-Nov | All trading ends for 2024 at 4:00 PM/ET. |
| 6-Nov | Players with at least four previous pension-credited seasons are subject to the waiver system for the remainder of the regular season and postseason. |
| November 7, 10-11 | 10th Week of Regular-Season Games |
| 12-Nov | At 4:00 PM/ET, signing period ends for Franchise Players who are eligible to receive Offer Sheets. |
| Prior to 4:00 PM/ET, deadline for clubs to sign their unsigned Franchise and Transition Players, including Franchise Players who were eligible to receive Offer Sheets until this date. If still unsigned after this date, such players are prohibited from playing in NFL in 2024. | |
| Prior to 4:00 PM/ET, deadline for clubs to sign their Unrestricted Free Agents to whom the “UFA Tender” was made. If still unsigned after this date, such players are prohibited from playing in NFL in 2024. | |
| Prior to 4:00 PM/ET, deadline for Clubs to sign their Restricted Free Agents, including those to whom the “June 1 Tender” was made. If such players remain unsigned after this date, they are prohibited from playing in NFL in 2024. | |
| November 14, 17-18 | 11th Week of Regular-Season Games |
| 18-Nov | Clubs are permitted to begin to try out and negotiate an NFL player contract with CFL players for the 2025 season until Tuesday, February 11, 2025. These players may not sign an NFL Player Contract or NFL Practice Player Contract for the 2024 regular season or postseason. |
| November 21, 24-25 | 12th Week of Regular-Season Games |
| November 27-28, | Deadline at 4:00 PM/ET, on the last business day prior to a club’s Week 13 game for reinstatement of players in Reserve List categories of Retired, Did Not Report, and Exclusive Rights, and of players who were placed on Reserve/Left Squad in a previous season. |
| 30, December 1 | |
| November 28-29, | 13th Week of Regular-Season Games |
| December 1-2 | |
| December | |
| December 5, 8-9 | 14th Week of Regular-Season Games |
| 10-Dec | NFLMC Labor Seminar (Ritz-Carlton-Las Colinas, Irving, Texas) |
| December 10-11 | Special League Meeting/Front Office Accelerator (Ritz-Carlton-Las Colinas, Irving, Texas) |
| 15-Dec | Deadline for all clubs to submit their individual lists of players who received, or filed a grievance for, the Basic or Extended Injury Protection Benefit for the 2024 season. |
| December 12, 15-16 | 15th Week of Regular-Season Games |
| December 19, 21-23 | 16th Week of Regular-Season Games |
| December 25-26, | 17th Week of Regular-Season Games |
| 28-30 | |
| 2025 | |
| January | |
| January 4-5 | 18th Week of Regular Season games |
| 6-Jan | During the period beginning the Monday following the final regular-season weekend through the conclusion of the final postseason game, assignments of player contracts will be deferred until the first business day after the Super Bowl. Terminations of player contracts will occur at the expiration of the claiming period. |
| A club that is participating in the playoffs may sign players whose contracts have been terminated to its Active/Inactive List, Practice Squad (if applicable), or Reserve/Future List. A club whose playing season has concluded may sign such players to its Reserve/Future List only. | |
| Clubs may begin signing free agent players for the 2025 season, including players from the CFL. | |
| Earliest permissible date for clubs to renegotiate or extend the rookie contract of a drafted rookie who was selected in any round of the 2022 College Draft or any Undrafted Rookie who signed in 2023. Any permissible renegotiated or extended Player Contract will not be considered a Rookie Contract and will not be subject to the rules that limit Rookie Contracts. | |
| Clubs may exercise fifth-year options for players selected in the first round of the 2022 Draft. | |
| Prior to 4:00 PM/ET, clubs must provide the Management Council with written notice, signed by the individual club’s owner, indicating the amount, if any, of the club’s 2024 League Year Salary Cap Room to be credited to the club’s 2025 Team Salary. | |
| 8-Jan | Beginning at 4:00 PM/ET, on the Wednesday following the final regular-season weekend, rosters are frozen for clubs participating in the postseason with limited exceptions. |
| January 11-13 | Wild Card Games |
| 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 (TBD) |
| 31-Jan | Deadline for any player claiming the Extended Injury Protection Benefit for the 2025 season based on a 2023 injury or 2024 club authorized offseason surgery to notify his former Club in writing. |
| February | |
| 1-Feb | Deadline for non-playoff clubs to submit their individual lists of Physician-Certified 2024 Basic Injury Protection Benefit Candidates to the Management Council. |
| Senior Bowl (Hancock-Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Alabama) | |
| 2-Feb | Pro Bowl (TBD) |
| 9-Feb | Super Bowl LIX (Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana) |
| 10-Feb | Waiver system begins for 2025. With certain exceptions, a 24-hour claiming period will be in effect through the entire year; however, waiver requests made on Friday and Saturday of each week will expire at 4:00 PM/ET, on the following Monday. Players with at least four previous pension-credited seasons whom a club desires to terminate are not subject to the waiver system until the day after the trading deadline. |
| Beginning the first business day after the Super Bowl through the opening of the first training camp for rookies in 2025, clubs must report all tryouts and visits to the League office; however, such transactions will not be reported to other clubs. | |
| 11-Feb | Deadline for clubs to execute a 2025 NFL player contract with CFL players who are under contract for the 2025 season. Beginning at 12:01 p.m., NFL clubs are prohibited from seeking permission to try out, negotiate, and/or sign a CFL player who is under contract for the 2025 season. |
| Beginning at 12:01 p.m., CFL players whose contracts are set to expire after the 2024 CFL season become free agents. NFL clubs may try out, negotiate with, and/or sign these players without requesting permission. | |
| 15-Feb | Deadline for playoff clubs to submit their individual lists of Physician-Certified 2024 Basic Injury Protection Benefit Candidates to the Management Council. |
| 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 PM/ET, deadline for clubs to designate franchise or transition Players. |
| College Pro Days Begin. Workouts of a school’s Pro Day-eligible players during the days leading up to Pro Day activities are prohibited. Private dinners, meetings, interviews are permitted. | |
| March 4 – April 16 | Draft-Eligible Facility Visits Begin. Clubs are permitted 30 non-local players for physical exams/visits; no on-field workouts. |
| March 4 – April 23 | Video or telephone interviews with draft-eligible players begin. Clubs are permitted three video or telephone interviews per player, no longer than one hour in length. |
| 6-Mar | Deadline for clubs whose final game of the 2024 regular season is Sunday, Jan. 5 (60 days after final regular season game) to conduct physical examinations pursuant to CBA Article 45, Section 7(a) for players claiming the Extended Injury Protection Benefit for the 2025 season. |
| March 10-12 | Negotiation Period. During the period beginning at noon ET, on March 10 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m., ET, 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 PM/ET, 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 PM/ET, on March 12. | |
| 12-Mar | End/Start of League Year. Deadline at 3:59:59 PM/ET for clubs to exercise individually negotiated options for 2025 on all players who have option clauses in their 2024 contracts, subject to any earlier deadline specified in a player’s contract. |
| Prior to 4:00 PM/ET, clubs must submit Qualifying Offers to their Restricted Free Agents with expiring contracts to retain a Right of First Refusal/Compensation. | |
| Prior to 4:00 PM/ET, clubs must submit a minimum salary tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2024 contracts who have fewer than three Accrued Seasons of free agency credit. | |
| Top 51 Rule is in effect. All clubs must be under the 2025 salary cap prior to 4:00 PM/ET. All 2024 NFL player contracts will expire at 4:00 PM/ET. | |
| The 2025 League Year and Free Agency signing period begin at 4:00 PM/ET. | |
| The first day of the 2025 League Year will end at 11:59:59 PM/ET, 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 PM/ET, and 11:59:59 PM/ET, on March 12. | |
| Trading period for 2025. Trading begins at 4:00PM/ET, after expiration of all 2024 contracts. | |
| Commencing at 4:00 PM/ET, clubs may designate up to two player contracts that, if terminated on or prior to June 1, 2025, and if not renegotiated after Jan. 5, 2025, shall be treated as if terminated on June 2, subject to the further requirements of CBA Article 13, Section 6(b)(ii)(1). | |
| 20-Mar | Deadline for all clubs to submit their individual lists of Physician-Certified Candidates for the 2025 Extended Injury Protection Benefit. |
| March 30-April 2 | Annual League Meeting (The Breakers, Palm Beach, Florida) |
| 31-Mar | Deadline for clubs to meet 2025 funding requirements for guaranteed or deferred compensation in NFL player contracts and contracts for non-player club employees. |
| 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 | Annual Selection Meeting/NFL Draft (Green Bay, Wisconsin) |
| 29-Apr | Deadline for Prior Club to send “April 29 Tender” to its unsigned Unrestricted Free Agents. If the player has not signed a player contract with a club by July 22 or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later, he may negotiate or sign a player contract from that date until the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, at 4:00 PM/ET for prior club. |
| 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. |
| May 15-18 | NFLPA Rookie Premiere (TBD) |
| (Tentative) | |
| May 20-21 | Spring League Meeting/Coach Accelerator (Omni Viking Lakes Hotel, Minneapolis, Minnesota) |
| 31-May | Deadline for all clubs to conduct physical examinations pursuant to CBA Article 45, Section 7(c) for players claiming the Extended Injury Protection Benefit for the 2025 season. |
