2024-2025 National Football League important dates
2024
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 2024 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 can mandate first-year players – defined as those who signed a contract with any NFL club in a previous league year but don’t have a pension-credited season – to report on the assigned reporting date for all rookies. They can also report at any time after this, including but not limited to the set reporting dates for veteran quarterbacks and injured players, or the assigned reporting date for all other veteran players.
Under CBA Article 21, Section 6, the club can require veteran quarterbacks and “injured players” to report to preseason training camp at most five days before the mandatory reporting date for other veteran players. This is on the condition that all rookies have been, or are being, admitted to the official preseason training camp.
July 22: 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.
The signing period for unrestricted free agents who received a “UFA Tender” from their previous team ends at 4:00 p.m. New York time on July 22, or on the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp (July 17 in 2024), whichever comes later. After this deadline, and until 4:00 p.m. New York time on the Tuesday after the 10th regular season weekend, the previous team exclusively retains negotiation rights.
August 1: Hall of Fame Game, Houston Texans vs. Chicago Bears, Canton, Ohio.
August 6: 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 15-18: Second Preseason Weekend.
August 22-25: Third Preseason Weekend.
August 27: Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must reduce rosters to a maximum of 53 players on the Active/Inactive List.
At the same time as the roster is reduced to 53 players, clubs with players classified as Active/Physically Unable to Perform or Active/Non-Football Injury or Illness have to choose one of these options: put the player on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform or Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness based on their condition; end or request waivers with the label of Failed Physical or Non-Football Injury or Illness based on their condition; request waivers; end the contract; trade the contract; or keep the player on the Active List.
Players on the Reserve List or Exempt List, who currently do not count towards the 90-player limit, will start to be included in this limit.
August 28: Claiming period for players placed on waivers at the final roster reduction will expire at 12:00 noon, New York time.
Once they have received the following Personnel Notice, clubs can form a Practice Squad of 17 players, provided one player is classified as an International Player. A player cannot be signed onto a practice player contract by any club, including their previous club, until all clubs are notified at the same time through the mentioned Personnel Notice. This is only possible once the player’s previous NFL contract has been ended through the waiver system.
Starting from 4:00 p.m. in New York time, any player who is put on Reserve/Injured, Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness, or Practice Squad due to injuries sustained during the regular season or postseason may be marked to return later in the season. However, this is subject to the relevant procedures.
September 1: 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 p.m., New York time, (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.
September 5-6, 8-9: Kickoff Weekend presented by YouTube TV.
September 6: NFL International Game at Corinthians Arena (São Paulo, Brazil) — Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
September 27, 30, October 1: 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 p.m., New York time, on the day after the conclusion of the 21-day period.
October 6: NFL International Game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London, United Kingdom) — New York Jets vs. Minnesota Vikings
October 13: NFL International Game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London, United Kingdom) — Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Chicago Bears
October 15-16: Fall League Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia
October 20: NFL International Game at Wembley Stadium (London, United Kingdom) — New England Patriots vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
November 5: All trading ends for 2024 at 4:00 p.m., New York time.
November 6: 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 10: NFL International Game at Allianz Arena — Home of FC Bayern Munich (Munich, Germany) — New York Giants vs. Carolina Panthers
November 12: At 4:00 p.m., New York time, signing period ends for Franchise Players who are eligible to receive offer sheets
Clubs have until 4:00 p.m. New York time to sign their unsigned Franchise and Transition Players, including Franchise Players who were eligible to receive offer sheets up until this deadline. Any players who remain unsigned after this date will be barred from participating in the NFL in 2024.
Clubs have until 4:00 p.m., New York time, to sign their unrestricted free agents who were offered the “UFA Tender”. If these players remain unsigned after this deadline, they will not be allowed to play in the NFL in 2024.
Clubs must sign their restricted free agents, including those offered the “June 1 Tender”, before 4:00 p.m., New York time. If these players are not signed by this deadline, they will not be allowed to play in the NFL in 2024.
December 10-11: Special League Meeting/Front Office Accelerator, Irving, Texas.
2025
January 4-5: Week 18.
January 6: Clubs may begin signing free agent players for the 2024 season, including players from the CFL.
The soonest date clubs can renegotiate or extend the rookie contract of a drafted rookie from any round of the 2022 NFL Draft or an undrafted rookie who signed in 2023 is permissible. Any renegotiated or extended player contract that is allowed will not be deemed a rookie contract, thus not subject to the restrictions applied to rookie contracts.
Clubs have the option to extend a fifth-year contract to players who were selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
January 8: 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 presented by Verizon.
Mid-January (Tentative): Deadline for college players who are underclassmen to apply for Special Eligibility.
January 18-19: Divisional Playoffs presented by Intuit TurboTax.
January 26: AFC and NFC Championship Games presented by Intuit TurboTax.
January 30: East-West Shrine Bowl.
February 1: Senior Bowl, Mobile, Alabama.
February 2: Pro Bowl Games.
February 9: Super Bowl LIX, Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana.
February 18: Beginning this date through 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: Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
March 10-12: 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 aforementioned two-day negotiation period, a potential UFA who doesn’t have an NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor (“unrepresented player”) is allowed to directly communicate with the front office officials of a new club (excluding the head coach and other coaching staff) about contract negotiations. It’s the club’s responsibility to verify the player’s status as an unrepresented player.
A prospective unrestricted free agent is not allowed to sign a contract with a new club until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 12.
March 12: The 2025 league year and free agency signing period begin at 4:00 p.m., New York time.
The trading period for 2025 will commence at 4:00 p.m., New York time, following the expiration of all contracts for 2024.
The 2025 League Year’s first day will conclude at 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 12. Clubs will be issued a Personnel Notice encompassing all transactions presented to the league office from 4:00 p.m. to 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 12.
March 30-April 2: Annual League Meeting, Palm Beach, Florida.
April 7: Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2024 regular season may begin offseason workout programs.
April 16: Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at its club facility.
April 18: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.
April 21: Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs.
April 23: Deadline for prior club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents who signed offer sheets.
Deadline for clubs to conduct timing, testing, visiting, interviewing (including video and phone calls), or physical examination with a player eligible for the draft at any location.
April 24-26: NFL Draft, Green Bay, Wisconsin.
May 1: Deadline for clubs to exercise Fifth-Year Option for players selected in the first round of the 2022 Draft.
May 2-5 or May 9-12: 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 12: Rookie Football Development Programs begin.
May 20-21: Spring League Meeting/Coach Accelerator, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
