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Important NFL dates to know for 2025: Draft, free agency

NFL-LOGO-SHIELD

JANUARY

January 6

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.

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

Mid-January (Tentative)

Deadline for college players who are underclassmen to apply for Special Eligibility.

January 18-19

Divisional Playoff Games

January 20

NCAA National Championship Game (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia)

January 26

AFC & NFC Championship Games

January 30

East-West Shrine Bowl (TBD)

January 31

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

February 1

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)

February 2

Pro Bowl (TBD)

February 9

Super Bowl LIX (Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana)

February 10

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 p.m., New York time, 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.

February 11

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.

February 15

Deadline for playoff clubs to submit their individual lists of Physician-Certified 2024 Basic Injury Protection Benefit Candidates to the Management Council.

February 18

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

March 4

Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, 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.

March 6

Deadline for clubs whose final game of the 2024 regular season is Sunday, January 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 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 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 p.m., New York time, on March 12.

March 12

End/Start of League Year. Deadline at 3:59:59 p.m., New York Time, 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 p.m., New York time, 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 p.m., New York time, 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 p.m., New York time. All 2024 NFL player contracts will expire at 4:00 p.m., New York time.

The 2025 League Year and Free Agency signing period begin at 4:00 p.m., New York time.

The first day of the 2025 League Year will end at 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, 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 p.m., New York time, and 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 12.

Trading period for 2025. Trading begins at 4:00 p.m., New York time, after expiration of all 2024 contracts.

Commencing at 4:00 p.m., New York time, Clubs may designate up to two Player Contracts that, if terminated on or prior to June 1, 2025, and if not renegotiated after January 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).

March 20

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)

March 31

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

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 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)

April 29

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 p.m., New York time, only with his Prior Club.

MAY

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 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 15-18 (Tentative)

NFLPA Rookie Premiere (TBD)

May 20-21

Spring League Meeting/Coach Accelerator (Omni Viking Lakes Hotel, Minneapolis, Minnesota)

May 31

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.

View photos of every move made by the Giants during the 2024 cycle.

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