The 2024 NFL season is over. Now the exciting offseason begins. An important part: free agency.

The 2024 NFL season is over, the Philadelphia Eagles have crowned themselves champions with a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. True to the motto “the season is over after the season”, the next exciting NFL dates are just around the corner in the offseason.

From February 27 to March 3, college talents were able to show their skills at the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. But before the draft (April 25-27), it’s the turn of the established NFL pros. NFL Free Agency 2025 is coming up. But what exactly is that?

What is NFL Free Agency?

NFL Free Agency can be compared to the transfer phase in other sports such as soccer. During this time, the 32 NFL teams are allowed to sign contracts with players who are currently without a club. Of course, the teams are always trying to sign the best players (the so-called “free agents”) to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season.

With the start of free agency, possible trades can also be completed. At the same time, the start of free agency also marks the beginning of the new NFL year.

When does the NFL Free Agency 2025 start?

The official start of free agency is March 12, 2025. From that point on, free agents are allowed to sign new contracts and trades can take place. However, free agents are allowed to talk to and negotiate with their potential new teams as early as March 10. Contacting them before this deadline is strictly prohibited.

What teams need to bear in mind during free agency

On the one hand, it is important to know that there are different types of free agents. Depending on the type, different rules apply. More on this below.

In addition, the teams are tied to the salary cap and thus to an upper limit for expenses. This means that some franchises have more money available for new contracts than others.

How does NFL Free Agency work?

NFL Free Agency has several phases:

1. Preparation: Starting February 18, 2025, teams can assign franchise tags and transition tags. These are options for keeping your own free agents for another year at a highly paid contract. These free agents cannot then sign contracts with other teams during the current free agency period.

2. “Legal Tampering Period”: During this two-day phase starting on March 10, 2025, teams will be allowed to talk to potential free agents for the first time and explore possible contracts. These can then be signed at the earliest from the official start.

3. Start of free agency: This is set for March 12, 2025, at 10 p.m. German time. Contracts and trades can now officially be concluded.

What does free agency mean for the NFL?

Free agency is an important tool in the NFL to equalize the chances of the teams. After all, it can turn the balance of power upside down. The most recent example is the Philadelphia Eagles, who signed Saquon Barkley last offseason.

The star running back turned out to be a crucial piece of the puzzle in helping the Eagles to their second Super Bowl victory in history. In general, the rosters of NFL teams are being massively restructured. So fans can look forward to some new faces.

As in every year, the contracts of some top stars are also expiring in this free agency. Among them is Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, on whom the franchise has now seemingly made an initial decision. Other big names include quarterback Justin Fields (Pittsburgh Steelers), wide receiver Stefon Diggs (Houston Texans), or outside linebackers Josh Sweat (Philadelphia Eagles) and Khalil Mack (Los Angeles Chargers).

Meanwhile, the future of wide receiver Tee Higgings has been clarified. The Cincinnati Bengals star, meanwhile, faces the same fate as last year.
4. The end: Free agency in the NFL does not have an official expiration date. Instead, there are various deadlines that must be observed. These can vary depending on the type of free agent. Restricted free agents, for example, may sign provisional contracts until April 18.

Franchise tag players, on the other hand, have until November 15, 2025 to sign a new contract. If no agreement on a long-term contract has been reached by this date, an extension is no longer possible.