What Key Dates on 2026 NFL Calendar Mean for Packers

With the 2025 NFL season officially complete, here’s a look at what’s ahead in 2026, including the deadline to make some expensive decisions.

The road to Super Bowl LXI in Los Angeles is under way. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – For the Green Bay Packers, it’s full speed ahead on the road to the 2026 NFL season. Here is a look at the major mile markers on that road, including the deadline to make some enormously important (and expensive) decisions.

Playing Tag

Feb. 17: Teams can begin using franchise or transition tags on upcoming free agents. The deadline is March 3.

The Packers have several high-quality free agents with linebacker Quay Walker, quarterback Malik Willis, left tackle Rasheed Walker, receiver Romeo Doubs, center/guard Sean Rhyan and defensive end Kingsley Enagbare.

Don’t expect the Packers to tag any of them, though. According to OverTheCap.com, here are the projections. Hint: They are expensive.

Quarterbacks: Franchise – $47.321 million. Transition – $40.799 million.

Receivers: Franchise – $28.824 million. Transition – $25.029 million.

Offensive line: Franchise – $27.924 million. Transition – $25.305 million.

Tight ends: Franchise – $16.319 million. Transition – $13.869 million.

Running backs: Franchise – $14.536 million. Transition – $11.728 million.

Linebackers: Franchise – $28.197 million. Transition – $23.613 million.

Defensive ends: Franchise – $27.322 million. Transition – $22.908 million

Defensive tackles: Franchise – $26.311 million. Transition – $21.608 million.

Cornerbacks: Franchise – $21.414 million. Transition – $17.951 million.

Safeties: Franchise – $20.876 million. Transition – $16.485 million.

Special teams: Franchise – $6.9 million. Transition – $6.24 million.

Feb. 23 through March 2: NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

March Madness

March 9: The so-called legal tampering period begins at 11 a.m. (There is no official start date for the illegal tampering period.)

March 11: The start of the league-year, meaning teams must be in compliance with the salary cap. The Packers have some work to do, with OverTheCap.com projecting the Packers to be about $3.23 million over the cap. There are numerous easy levers to get under the cap and create space, though.

March 11: Free agents can sign contracts with a new team beginning at 3 p.m., though many of those contracts will have been worked out during the previous 52 hours.

March 11: Teams can make trades beginning at 3 p.m. (Central).

March 11: Teams can place tenders on their restricted free agents. A restricted free agent is a free agent with three years of experience.

The Packers have a big group of restricted free agents. By percentage of snaps played on offense or defense in 2025, they are running back Emanuel Wilson, offensive tackle Darian Kinnard, running back Chris Brooks, tight end Josh Whyle, defensive tackle Jonathan Ford, defensive end Brenton Cox, safety Zayne Anderson and defensive end Arron Mosby.

The projected tender amounts, according to OTC, are $8.197 million for the first-round tender, $5.811 million for the second-round tender and $3.547 million for the right of first refusal.

What do those terms mean? In all cases, the Packers would have the ability to match another team’s offer sheet to retain the player. Using Whyle, a former fifth-round pick, as an example, if the Packers were to use the first-round tender on Whyle, they’d receive a first-round pick for losing him. If they were to use the second-round tender, they’d receive a second-round pick. If they were to use the right-of-first-refusal tender, they’d receive a fifth-round pick. In the case of an undrafted player, such as Wilson, there would be no compensation with that minimum tender.

March 11: Teams can begin designating cuts with a June 1 designation. That means the dead-cap hit can be spread out over two years rather than dumped entirely on the 2026 salary cap.

One potential big-ticket roster cut is defensive end Rashan Gary. His cap charge for 2026 is about $28 million. If the Packers were to release him, he’d count about $17 million against the cap in 2026 (but $0 in 2027). With a June 1 designation, that dead cap would be about $8.5 million in 2026 and 2027.

Another big-salary roster cut could be center Elgton Jenkins, who has a cap charge of about $24.8 million in 2026. Because he’s entering the final season under contract, there is no June 1 benefit. He would count $4.8 million if released.

“I expect all these guys that are under contract to be back, but we’re just getting started at looking at how we’re building out the team for next year,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said last week when asked specifically about Gary. 

“I thought he started out really, really strong. He obviously had a lot of production early. I think he ended up with 60-some pressures, 7.5 sacks. That’s pretty good production in the National Football League. I did think towards the end of the year, he wasn’t as productive as he was at the beginning.”

March 15: The fifth-day of the league-year is when the Packers have to pay roster bonuses to this group of players. There are $29 million worth of decisions, led by $9.5 million for guard Aaron Banks.

Draft Highlights April

April 15: The final day in which teams can host predraft visits with prospects.

April 20: Offseason workouts can begin.

April 22: The final day for teams to interview and test or conduct physicals with draft prospects at any location. That includes video and phone calls.

April 23: The first round of the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. With no first-round pick, general manager Brian Gutekunst might spend the day on the golf course.

April 24: Day 2 of the NFL Draft, which will consist of the second and third rounds. Green Bay is scheduled to pick at No. 52 of the second round and No. 84 of the third round.

April 25: Day 3 of the NFL Draft, which will consist of the fourth through seventh rounds. The Packers have one pick in each round and could get a couple additional picks in the seventh round after the league dispenses compensatory picks.

Lukas Van Ness Deadline Highlights May

May 1: Deadline for teams to exercise the fifth-year option on 2023 first-round draft picks. For Green Bay, that will be an important decision on Lukas Van Ness, who has only 8.5 sacks in three seasons. The option for Van Ness will be in the neighborhood of $15.4 million, according to OTC.

May 1-4 or May 8-11: Teams can hold one three-day rookie minicamp. The Packers typically hold their rookie camp during that opening window.

TBA in May: Release of the 2026 NFL schedule. It was on Wednesday, May 14, last year, Wednesday, May 15 in 2024, and Thursday, May 11 in 2023.

The 2026 NFL Season

TBA in July: The start of training camp. Rookies, quarterbacks and players coming off injuries might be required to report to training camp no earlier than five days before the mandatory reporting date for the rest of the team.

The start date depends on the date for Green Bay’s first preseason game.

Sept. 10: The Seattle Seahawks will host the season-opening game.

Sept. 13: The first Sunday of the NFL season.

Feb. 14: Super Bowl XLI will be held at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

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