The Kansas City Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII wrapped up the 2023 NFL season and sent the league straight into the 2024 offseason.
It may feel like a long spring and summer for football fans until they see their favorite teams return to the gridiron for preseason action in early August, then again for the start of a new campaign in September—but the good news for them is the NFL’s busy offseason is far from quiet. The NFL Draft and Scouting Combine have become spectacles in their own right. Same with free agency. So get ready to mark up your football calendars.
Here are the key dates to keep in mind this offseason.
When Does NFL Free Agency Begin?
Free agency and the new league year will begin on March 13 at 4 p.m. ET. At that same time, the 2024 trading period will officially be underway after the expiration of all 2023 contracts, according to the league’s calendar.
In the lead-up to free agency, March 5 (again at 4 p.m. ET) is the final day teams may designate a franchise or transition tag on a player. And from March 11-13, teams are permitted to enter into contract negotiations with certified agents of players who are set to become unrestricted free agents—though they may not execute a deal until the new league year starts.
From Chris Jones to Kirk Cousins to Tee Higgins, plenty of big-name free agents could be on the move in the coming months. And depending on a team’s salary cap space, this year’s cycle could either be a frenzy (the Washington Commanders have a league-leading $73.6 million in cap space) or a dud (the New Orleans Saints are currently $83.7 million into the cap negative.)
When Is The 2024 NFL Draft?
The 2024 NFL Draft will kick off in Detroit on Thursday, April 25, when the first 32 selections are rattled off by Commissioner Roger Goodell. The second and third rounds will take place the following evening on Friday, April 26, and the three-day event will conclude with rounds four through seven on Saturday, April 27.
After Kansas City’s win in the Super Bowl, the entire draft order is finalized. The Chicago Bears, via a trade with the Carolina Panthers, are now on the clock.
Here’s a look at the full draft order, starting at the top:
- Bears (via Panthers), Commanders, Patriots, Cardinals, Chargers, Giants, Titans, Falcons, Bears, Jets, Vikings, Broncos, Raiders, Saints, Colts, Seahawks, Jaguars, Bengals, Rams, Steelers, Dolphins, Eagles, Texans (via Browns), Cowboys, Packers, Buccaneers, Cardinals (via Texans), Bills, Lions, Ravens, 49ers then Chiefs.
There are plenty of draft-related dates to watch before teams start sending in their selections. The NFL Scouting Combine will return to Lucas Oil Stadium from February 26 through March 4, when teams will get an up-close look at this year’s best draft-eligible prospects. The league announced Tuesday that 321 prospects were invited to attend the combine, where they will have the opportunity to run the 40-yard dash, participate in on-field drills, interview with teams and more.
April 17 serves as the deadline for teams to time, test, visit, interview or conduct a physical examination of a prospect at its club facility, the NFL’s league calendar states. And April 24 is the last day teams may do those things with a draft-eligible player at any location.
Other Key NFL Offseason Dates
Training camps begin league-wide in July, the preseason starts with the yearly Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on August 1, and the 2024 regular season commences with a Chiefs home game in the first week of September. On the offseason road toward those milestone moments, here are some other dates to keep in mind.
- March 24-27: Annual league meeting in Orlando, Florida.
- April 1: Teams with a new head coach may begin offseason workout programs.
- April 15: Clubs with a returning head coach may begin offseason workout programs.
- April 19: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign their offer sheets.
- May 2: Deadline for teams to exercise fifth-year option for 2021 first-round picks.
- May 3-6 or 10-13: Teams may choose to hold their three-day post-NFL Draft rookie minicamp on one of the two weekends after the draft.
- May 20-22: A Spring league meeting and coach accelerator in Nashville, Tennessee.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images/Getty Images
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.