The NFL free agency period is slated to open March 17.
That’s according to the tentative 2021 calendar agreed to by the league and the NFL Players Association and shared Wednesday by NFL Network. Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all dates are subject to change.
Teams can attach the franchise or transition tags to players beginning Feb. 23 with a deadline of March 9 at 4 p.m. ET.
Free agents can begin signing at 4 p.m. on March 17, coinciding with the start of the new league year. For restricted free agents, the signing period closes on April 23, with teams given until April 28 to match any offers.
Teams that have new head coaches can begin offseason workouts on April 5. For all other teams, workouts may start on April 19.
The 2021 NFL Draft remains scheduled to be held April 29 to May 1 in Cleveland. The 2020 draft was conducted virtually April 23-25 because of the pandemic, and the live event in Las Vegas was scrapped. Vegas was awarded the 2022 draft.
(Field Level Media)