More and more NFL teams are beginning the offseason with each passing week.
While the playoffs are still in full swing, more than half of the franchises have turned the page to next season. The offseason will come up fast for certain teams who play into late January or early February.
From free agency to the draft and then eventually workouts and practices, the NFL calendar has no real gaps for fans to look away.
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Here are all the key dates to follow this offseason:
Feb. 18: Franchise tag period opens
Teams can begin designating franchise tag and transitional tags at 4 p.m. ET. For the next two weeks, players who are set to hit free agency can be blocked from reaching the open market with these tags. Here's some more information about the franchise and transition tag.
Feb. 24-March 3: NFL Scouting Combine
NFL
The top prospects in the upcoming draft will gather in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine. Representatives from all 32 teams will be in attendance, watching the league's future stars get tested through a series of drills, workouts and interviews.
March 4: Franchise tag deadline
The tag period closes exactly two weeks after it opens. This is the last day for teams to make a decision on using the franchise or transition tag on any of its pending free agents.
March 10: Legal tampering period begins
Starting at 12 p.m. ET, teams can begin contacting and negotiating deals with players who are becoming unrestricted free agents. While contracts can't officially be signed yet, this "legal tampering" period is when agreements will be announced.
March 12: Free agency officially opens and new league year begins
By this point, there will likely already be dozens of free agent deals announced. But those deals can't be officially signed until 4 p.m. ET on March 12, when the new league year begins. Clubs will start officially announcing their newest signings at this time.
March 30-April 2: Annual league meetings
The league's 32 owners will meet in Palm Beach, Florida, during this time to discuss potential rule changes and other matters that need to be voted on.
April 7: Offseason workouts begin for teams with new coaches
As of Jan. 13, there are six teams that will have new head coaches next season. Those clubs -- the New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints -- can begin their offseason workout programs on April 7. Teams will returning head coaches have to wait two weeks until April 21 to begin theirs.
April 18: Deadline for restricted free agents
Restricted free agents have until this date to sign offer sheets from their teams. If a player does not sign, their rights stay with their team and, if he doesn't play, he doesn't receive an accrued season in the following year.
April 24-26: 2025 NFL Draft
The three-day draft will take place in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The first round will be held on April 24, followed by the second and third rounds on April 25 and rounds four through seven on April 26.
May 1: Fifth-year option deadline for 2022 class
This is an important date for first-round picks from the 2022 draft. Their teams can exercise their fifth-year option up until this date, which would keep them under contract through the 2026 (two more seasons). This step is a formality for any player who has shown promise, but others who haven't panned out could see the 2026 option declined.
May 2-5 or May 9-12: Rookie minicamp
Clubs can decide which of these two periods to hold rookie minicamp, which lasts for three days in these four-day stretches. This is the rookies' first chance to put on their new colors and show off for coaches and media.
Mid-May: Regular season schedule release
Just when you thought things could quiet down, the NFL typically releases the upcoming regular season schedule in mid-May. This has become a major event, with networks revealing their big games gradually throughout the week before a full release by the league in primetime.
Late-May or early-June: Organized team activities (not mandatory)
This optional workout is the first time that the majority of players will take the field together. Teams will typically hold anywhere from five to 10 OTA workouts in late-May or early-June as a build-up for mandatory minicamp. Skipping OTAs is often used as a negotiating chip for players who want a new contract, because players cannot be fined for missing these workouts.
Early-to-mid-June: Minicamp (mandatory)
For three days in June, full teams are expected to be on the field together for practice. This is the last time everyone is together before breaking for a brief summer vacation.
July 15: Franchise tag extension deadline
Teams have until 4 p.m. ET to sign players who have been designated with the franchise tag to long-term extensions. The player can sign a one-year contract with his club if they don't work out a multi-year deal, but the contract cannot be extended after this date until the end of the upcoming season.
Mid-to-late July: Training camp
Players will head back to work about a month after minicamp when training camp begins. Dates differ from team-to-team and often aren't announced until spring or early summer. From this point forward, it's full steam ahead with the preseason just a few weeks away.