🏈 When does NFL Free Agency Start? Key Dates & Schedule
We already have news about some surprising players who will be available in free agency, as teams have informed them that their releases are imminent. But, how much longer do we have to wait to see who is going where, and when does NFL free agency start?
In just a couple of days, the "legal tampering period" begins, and rumors of deals that players will ink the moment the new league year begins. It's like an unofficial start to NFL free agency before it actually happens. How will the Super Bowl odds shift when pen gets put to paper in under a week?
📅 When does NFL free agency start?
Excitement is beginning to build for the NFL draft, with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza easily sitting atop the NFL draft odds to be selected first overall. That's a little later in the NFL schedule and key dates for the 2026-27 season though.
The free-agency feast comes first, and here are the important dates to know:
- March 9: The legal tampering period for upcoming unrestricted free agents begins at noon ET, which is when they can enter into contract negotiations with potential new teams
- March 11: The new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET, which is when all contracts and transactions can be finalized
You'll begin to hear that a player has reportedly agreed with a club during the legal tampering period. But both those contracts and any trades can't become official until the new league year begins.
It doesn't happen often, but it's possible for either a player or the team to nix a reported deal during the tampering period and before the agreement is official.
🏈 Who are the top NFL free agents?
The franchise-tag window opened on Feb. 17, and it runs until March 3 at 4 p.m. ET. Players under an exclusive franchise tag are taken off the market, and their teams offer them a one-year contract in line with the average of the top five at their position.
We've already seen Daniel Jones, Breece Hall, George Pickens, Kyle Pitts, Odafe Oweh, and Travis Etienne hit with franchise tags. Only Jones has officially signed from that gropu.ns.
With all that in mind, here are some of top free agents this offseason.
| Player | Position | Current team | 2025 salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Kyler Murray | Quarterback | Arizona Cardinals | $18 million |
| 2. Malik Willis | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers | $1.4 million |
| 3. Tyler Linderbaum | Center | Baltimore Ravens | $2.5 million |
| 4. Jaelan Phillips | Outside linebacker | Philadelphia Eagles | $1.5 million |
| 5. Trey Hendrickson | Defensive end | Cincinnati Bengals | $29 million |
| 6. Rashid Shaheed | Wide receiver | Seattle Seahawks | $2.1 million |
| 7. Kenneth Walker | Running back | Seattle Seahawks | $1.9 million |
| 8. Mike Evans | Wide receiver | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | $21 million |
🔢 How much salary cap space do NFL teams have right now?
This list can vary too a little during the buildup to free agency, but the cap space leaguewide is mostly set.
Following the franchise tag period, and the release of the expected NFL salary cap for the 2026 season, here's an updated list.
| Team | Cap Space |
|---|---|
| 1. Los Angeles Chargers | $99,517,325 |
| 2. Tennessee Titans | $90,384,059 |
| 3. Washington Commanders | $86,088,649 |
| 4. Las Vegas Raiders | $85,739,212 |
| 5. New York Jets | $74,052,485 |
| 6. Seattle Seahawks | $60,733,971 |
| 7. Pittsburgh Steelers | $50,016,173 |
| 8. Cincinnati Bengals | $47,466,907 |
| 9. Arizona Cardinals | $38,793,934 |
| 10. New England Patriots | $35,261,699 |
| 11. Los Angeles Rams | $29,279,412 |
| 12. Kansas City Chiefs | $23,301,131 |
| 13. San Francisco 49ers | $22,859,708 |
| 14. Philadelphia Eagles | $18,482,900 |
| 15. Baltimore Ravens | $15,640,000 |
| 16. New Orleans Saints | $14,812,000 |
| 17. Houston Texans | $13,490,000 |
| 18. Green Bay Packers | $11,540,000 |
| 19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | $9,820,000 |
| 20. Jacksonville Jaguars | $8,210,000 |
| 21. Denver Broncos | $7,430,000 |
| 22. Chicago Bears | $5,660,000 |
| 23. Atlanta Falcons | $4,210,000 |
| 24. New York Giants | $2,980,000 |
| 25. Detroit Lions | $1,540,000 |
| 26. Cleveland Browns | $820,000 |
| 27. Miami Dolphins | -$1,200,000 |
| 28. Buffalo Bills | -$3,450,000 |
| 29. Indianapolis Colts | -$5,120,000 |
| 30. Carolina Panthers | -$8,940,000 |
| 31. Minnesota Vikings | -$12,650,000 |
| 32. Dallas Cowboys | -$24,310,000 |
❓2026 NFL free agency FAQs
When is the NFL franchise tag deadline?
The deadline to tag players this year was March 3.
When does the NFL's legal tampering period open?
The league's legal-tampering period begins on March 9 at noon ET.
When does NFL free agency begin?
Free agency begins on the first official day of the new league year, which is March 11 at 4 p.m. ET. That's when all new contracts and trades can be finalized.
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