FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The NFL offseason is in full swing. Despite the name, however, the league's calendar remains plenty busy this time of year.
There's the NFL Scouting Combine, the start of free agency at the beginning of the new league year, franchise tag deadlines, the NFL Draft and much more on the horizon. Keeping track of the sequence of events can be confusing, so we've compiled a list of important 2025 offseason dates Falcons fans should be aware of.
For a comprehensive list, the league has created a helpful overview of its full offseason calendar.
NFL offseason dates you should know
February 24 – March 3: NFL Scouting Combine (held in Indianapolis, Indiana).
March 4: Deadline for teams to use the franchise or transition tag on a player.
March 10-12: Beginning at noon on March 10, teams can begin negotiations with certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents. If a potential unrestricted free agent does not have certified representation, a team's front office can communicate directly with the player. This window is commonly referred to as the "legal tampering period."
March 12: At 4 p.m. ET, the new league year officially begins. When it does, all 2024 contracts officially expire, and teams are allowed to sign free agents as well as engage in trades.
March 30 – April 2: Annual NFL league meeting.
April 16: Deadline for NFL teams to host a draft-eligible player at its facility for testing, medical evaluations and interviews.
April 18: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign an offer sheet.
April 21: Clubs with a returning head coach, which includes the Falcons, may begin offseason workout programs.
April 23: Deadline for a team to exercise its right of first refusal for a restricted free agent who has signed an offer sheet.
April 23: Deadline for NFL teams to conduct testing, medical evaluations and interviews (including phone and video) with a draft-eligible player at any location.
April 24-26: The 2025 NFL Draft (held in Green Bay, Wisconsin).
May 1: Deadline for teams to exercise the fifth-year option on players selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
May 2-12: The period during which teams can hold a three-day rookie minicamp following the NFL Draft. Teams are allowed to host a camp from Friday-Sunday or Saturday-Monday on one of the two weekends immediately following the draft.
May 20-21: Spring league meeting.
July 15: Deadline for a team to reach a multi-year contract agreement or extension with a player who received its franchise tag. If no agreement is reached, the player can receive only a one-year contract that cannot be extended until after the regular season.
Mid-July: Teams may begin training camp. Rookies may be required to report as many as seven days prior to the mandatory report date for veterans. A team's training camp will be deemed to have officially opened on the designated reporting date for all rookies.
