When does NFL Free Agency End?
The free-agent period in the NFL offseason is one of the most exciting things about the league, even though it takes place in meeting rooms and through phone calls, and not on the field. The free agency period that occurs every offseason allows players to explore opportunities such as signing with a different team than their prior one or perhaps restructuring their deal with their current team to make more money, add more years to the contract, or save the team salary cap funds. NFL free agency has not fully kicked off yet, but the time for team-swapping is rapidly approaching.
When is the end of NFL Free Agency?
The NFL's free-agency period begins at 4 pm EST on March 18th, at which time teams will officially be allowed to contact free agents and begin working on deals. Many franchises will have these deals in place beforehand, and are simply waiting to execute them when it is permissible to do so, such as the Cardinals and JJ Watt, but there are several players who may not find their new home until the process is almost over.
Restricted free agents have to be signed to new offer sheets by April 23rd, preceding the NFL Draft which begins on April 29th and runs through May 1st. Unrestricted free agents are allowed to continue negotiating well past this time, and are under no obligation to sign to a team before the season begins. Many NFL teams keep their eyes on the free agent market throughout the course of the season, signing players to fit their needs after other players have been injured or released. Although the regular season is not as active as the offseason in terms of free agency, it is important for players to have the freedom to explore different career options both in and out of the season.