NFL Key Dates 2025: Schedule for Draft, Free Agency and Franchise Tag Revealed

Julia StumbaughJune 20, 2024

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The NFL on Thursday informed the players’ association of the free agency, franchise tag and draft schedule for the 2025 offseason, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported.

The offseason will be capped off on April 24 by the start of the NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Tom Pelissero @TomPelisseroThe NFL recently informed the NFLPA of key dates for 2025, in a memo the union distributed today:

Feb. 18-March 4: Window to tag franchise and transition players

March 12: New league year and free agency begin

April 24-26: 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay

The 2025 dates largely coincide with the pace of the 2024 offseason schedule.

Like last season, the franchise tag and transition window will be open over the final two weeks of February, the new league year begins mid-March, and the draft is slated to take place over the final weekend of April.

The calendar also states that offseason workout programs can begin April 7 for teams with new coaches and on April 21 for programs with returning coaches, per Pelissero.

Those dates could still change. Pelissero noted that next spring’s offseason workout schedule is “subject to potential talks of an overhaul.”

According to Pelissero, the NFL also finalized rules for how players can return from the injured reserve during the 2024 season.

The rule change means that the standard limiting NFL teams to eight designations to return from injured reserve will now only apply during the regular season.

Each team can then bring additional players off the injured reserve during the 2025 postseason, according to the NFL memo.

Tom Pelissero @TomPelisseroThe NFL also informed the NFLPA it has finalized rules for designating players for return from injured reserve in 2024 — a maximum of eight total designations during the regular season or 10 including playoffs. From last week’s memo: pic.twitter.com/P8BV1sTZgs

The NFL regular season begins on Sept. 5 and runs through Jan. 5, 2025. The playoffs will culminate in the Super Bowl on Feb. 9 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The full list of important dates for the 2024-25 league year can be found here.