The NFL is officially going into offseason mode, following the Seattle Seahawks’ win at Super Bowl LX over the New England Patriots on Sunday. Thus starts the underrated yet highly important period between February and August.
Through the offseason, teams will work on themselves, draft and recruit new players, look to improve their rosters, and overall look at how to improve upon last season’s performances.
While the NFL Combine and NFL Draft take the cake as the most important dates of the period, there are other days every fan should keep an eye on. Here’s the complete list of the key dates of the upcoming offseason.
2026 NFL Offseason Key Dates
| Date | Event | Location / Detail |
| Feb 17 – March 3 | Franchise Tag Window | Teams can designate one player with the “Franchise tag.” |
| Feb 23 – March 2 | NFL Scouting Combine | Prospects will have tryouts in front of NFL decision makers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. |
| March 9 – 11 | Legal Tampering Period | Teams can negotiate with unrestricted free agents. |
| March 11 (4 pm ET) | 2026 League Year Begins | The free agency market officially opens. Trades can be finalized. |
| March 29 – April 1 | Annual League Meeting | Owners meet to discuss rule changes and other potential details for the upcoming season. |
| April 6 | Workouts: New Coaches | First day for teams with new head coaches to begin training. |
| April 17 | RFA Deadline | Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offers. |
| April 20 | Workouts: Returning Coaches | First day for teams with returning head coaches to begin training. |
| April 23 – 25 | 2026 NFL Draft | Hosted in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this year. |
| May 1st | Fifth-Year Option Deadline | It’s the deadline for NFL teams to pick up fifth-year options for first-round picks from the 2023 NFL Draft. |
| May 1–4 or 8–11 | Rookie Minicamps | Teams hold one three-day camp on either weekend for their rookie players |
| Mid-June | Mandatory Minicamps | Final full-squad practices before the summer break. |
| July 15 | Franchise Tag Deadline | Final date to sign franchise-tagged players to long-term extensions. |
| Late July | Training Camps Open | Official start of the preseason training camps |
| August 6 | Hall of Fame Game | The first preseason game (Held in Canton, Ohio). |
Who Is the Favorite To Be the First Overall Pick of the 2026 NFL Draft?
That honor would go to Fernando Mendoza, who is almost the consensus first pick choice by fans, analysts, and bookies alike. The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and national champion out of Indiana is expected to be chosen by the Las Vegas Raiders as the first overall pick of the draft.
According to DraftKings, he has odds of -8000.
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