When Does Free Agency Start in the NFL?

The NFL free agency period usually begins in early March, but the exact date can vary from year to year. Keep an eye on the NFL free agency rumors and news to see when your favorite team might be making some moves!

Introduction

Free agency in the National Football League (NFL) begins when the new league year starts, which is typically in March. During free agency, teams can sign unrestricted free agents, who have no restrictions on which team they can sign with. Unrestricted free agents are typically players who have been in the league for four or more years. Restricted free agents are players who have three years of NFL experience and whose current team has the right to match any offer they receive from another team. If the player’s current team does not match an offer, they can sign with the other team but their current team will receive draft picks as compensation.

History of the NFL Free Agency System

The NFL’s free agency system began in 1992. Prior to that, players were only able to become free agents after their contracts had expired. The first year of free agency saw some big names change teams, including Reggie White, who signed with the Green Bay Packers.

In the years since, free agency has become an important part of every NFL offseason. Each year, dozens of players sign new contracts with new teams. Some of these deals are worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The start of free agency can be a very exciting time for NFL fans. It’s a time when their favorite team can sign some big-name players and make a run at the Super Bowl.

The Current Free Agency System

After four years of service, NFL players are eligible for unrestricted free agency, meaning they can sign with any team. Unrestricted free agents are free to sign with any team that offers them a contract, without restriction from their former team. The current system is a result of the 1993 Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NFL and its players.

Unrestricted Free Agents

Unrestricted free agents (UFA) are free to sign with any team starting at the beginning of the new league year. Before that, they are bound to their previous team by a number of restrictions, listed below.

A player must have completed four or more accrued seasons to be an unrestricted free agent. An accrued season is defined as six or more regular-season games on a team’s active/inactive, reserve/physically unable to perform or reserve/injured list.

If a player’s contract expires and he has fewer than four accrued seasons, he becomes a restricted free agent (RFA). An RFA has less freedom to sign with a new team and his previous team can retain him by offering him a one-year contract at a minimum salary, with differing levels of compensation required depending on how many years he has been in the league.

If the player’s contract expires and he has four or more accrued seasons, he becomes an unrestricted free agent (UFA), free to sign with any team in the league that is willing to offer him a contract.

Restricted Free Agents

Restricted free agents (RFAs) are players with three accrued seasons who have received a qualifying offer (“QO”) from their old club. The qualifying offer is a salary tender at the greater of (i) the mean of the top five salaries of all players at the player’s position for the prior year (known as a “first-round tender”), or (ii) 110% of the player’s prior year’s salary (known as a “second-round tender”). A restricted free agent may negotiate with any club through April 19th. If the restricted free agent signs an Offer Sheet with a new club, his old club has seven days to match the terms of that Offer Sheet. If the old club does not match, it may receive draft choice compensation depending on the amount of its qualifying offer.

Franchise Players

Each team is allowed to designate one player each year as their “franchise player.” This means that the team can keep that player for another year by paying them a salary that is equivalent to the average of the top five salaries at their position.

Free Agency and the Salary Cap

In the NFL, a team’s total salary cap number is divided up amongst its players. The salary cap is the NFL’s way of ensuring that all teams are on a level playing field when it comes to spending on player salaries. The salary cap is set by the NFL each year and is based on a percentage of the league’s revenue.

Free agency is when a player’s contract has expired and he is free to sign with any team in the league. In order to prevent teams from signing all of the best players, the NFL has a system in place called “compensatory picks.” Compensatory picks are draft picks that are given to teams who have lost more free agents than they’ve signed in the previous offseason. These picks are given out at the end of each round of the NFL Draft, and they give teams an incentive to not sign too many free agents.

How Free Agency Affects a Team’s Strategy

Free agency significantly affects a team’s strategy. A team must account for the needs of its own free agents, as well as the potential to sign players from other teams. Free agency can also tempt a team to overspend on players that may not be worth the investment.

Conclusion

Free agency in the NFL officially begins on March 11th at 4pm EST. At that point, teams can begin to sign free agents to new contracts. However, negotiations between teams and free agents can begin as early as March 7th.