Key 2026 Dallas Cowboys NFL Offseason Dates & Events

Since they missed the playoffs for the second year in a row, the Dallas Cowboys' offseason began once the regular season ended. Now that the Super Bowl is done, the entire NFL has joined them.

Dallas has won just seven games in each of the past two seasons, which has the pressure dialed up a notch. The Cowboys have an elite offense led by Dak Prescott, but the defense was a major issue.

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Head coach Brian Schottenheimer is banking on the addition of new defensive coordinator Christian Parker to help improve things, but they need more talent as well. That said, let's take a look at some of the key offseason dates where the Cowboys can make improvements to their roster.

Coming up in the NFL:

February 17th-March 3rd: Window to use franchise tags

February 23rd-March 2nd: NFL Combine

March 9th-11th: Free agency "legal tampering" window

March 11th at 4 PM: Free agency begins

April 23rd-25th: NFL Draft
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 9, 2026

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February 17th-March 3rd: Window to use franchise tags

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens celebrates after a play against the Washington Commanders. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

This is going to be important for Dallas this year since they’re expected to tag George Pickens. If tagged, Pickens can negotiate with the Cowboys until July 15.

Ideally, they can work out a long-term deal but we’ll learn a lot about how things will work themselves out once the tag is actually used.

February 23rd-March 2nd: NFL Combine

The NFL Scouting Combine is exciting every year, but Dallas fans will be especially tuned in this year. The Cowboys have two picks in the top 20, which means they can land two potential game-changers.

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Seeing the prospects show off their talent in front of the world is a great way to kick off draft season.

March 9th-11th: Free agency "legal tampering" window

The legal tampering period is a weird time when teams can negotiate with players and agree to deals. However, nothing can be officially signed until the start of free agency.

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It was an effort to end the illegal tampering that went on, but now teams just do that earlier and still have to wait to sign deals.

March 11th at 4 PM: Free agency begins

Jerry Jones on the NFL Honors Red Carpet before Super Bowl LX at Palace of Fine Arts. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Jerry Jones has said he’s going to “bust the budget” this offseason. Free agency kicks off on March 11, and this will be when we see whether that was all talk or if the Cowboys will go after some legitimate help.

April 23rd-25th: NFL Draft

The final key offseason date before minicamps kick off is the NFL draft. This year, the event will be held in Pittsburgh, and the Cowboys could make huge strides with their picks in Round 1.

They could also look to trade back and add more picks, especially since they have none in Round 2 and Round 3. Either way, they should be big players during the final week in April.

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