Free Agency Primer: Terms, Dates and Other Things You Need To Know

It’s one of the most wonderful times of the year on the NFL calendar: free agency.

On Monday, March 9, at noon, the “legal tampering period,” during which teams can negotiate with the agents of players on other teams whose contracts are expiring, begins. Then, on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, those agreements leaked to league insiders can become official.

Before diving into the distinctions, let's look at a few other important factors about free agency to keep in mind.

First, what are the categories of free agency?

There are two: “restricted free agents” and “unrestricted free agents.” A restricted free agent has three accrued seasons of service; an unrestricted free agent has four or more years of accrued service.

Restricted free agents can be signed up until April 17, 2026. Unrestricted free agents who have not been designated with the franchise or transition tag can sign whenever they want. Tagged players who do not sign their tags with the team that tendered them by the tenth week of the season (November 17, 2026) must sit out the remainder of the year.

Next, what exactly constitutes an “accrued season”?

A player must have completed six or more regular-season games on a club's active/inactive, reserve/injured, or reserve/physically unable to perform lists to be able to lay claim to an accrued season of service.

Now, how do the free agency rules apply to restricted free agents?

A restricted free agent who signs an offer sheet from another club must give his original club the opportunity to match the offer. If the old club does not match the offer, it may receive draft-choice compensation depending on the amount of its qualifying offer.

If a restricted free agent does not receive a qualifying offer from another team by April 17, his negotiating rights revert exclusively to his old club.

As for the financial details, what are the right-of-first-refusal/qualifying-offer amounts for players who have completed three accrued seasons?

For right of first refusal only, a one-year salary of at least $3,520,000.

For right of first refusal and compensation at the player’s original draft round, a one-year salary of at least $3,674,000 or 110 percent of the 2025 Paragraph 5 salary, whichever is greater.

For right of first refusal and compensation of one second-round draft selection, a one-year salary of at least $5,767,000 or 110 percent of the 2025 Paragraph 5 salary, whichever is greater.

For the right of first refusal and compensation of one first-round draft selection, a one-year salary of at least $8,046,000 or 110 percent of the 2025 Paragraph 5 salary, whichever is greater.

For right of first refusal and compensation of only one first-round draft selection, but any provision in the new club’s offer sheet waiving or limiting the new club’s ability to designate the player as a franchise or transition player is not a principal term and need not be matched by the prior club, a one-year salary of at least $8,546,000 or 110 percent of the 2025 Paragraph 5 salary, whichever is greater.

What is the cutoff date for free agents lost/gained, not counting against the following year’s comp pick formula?

As of the first Tuesday after the conclusion of the NFL draft, any free agents added to teams will not count against the compensatory pick formula.

Turning to salary cap considerations, when must teams be in compliance?

Teams must comply with the salary cap starting at 4:00 p.m. ET on March 11, 2026.

Finally, what is the maximum amount of salary cap room left over from the previous year that a club can carry over?

A club can carry over 100 percent of its remaining 2025 room to its adjusted salary cap for 2026. Teams must notify the NFL the day after the final regular-season game of their intention to do so.

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