2023 Important NFL Dates

2023 NFL IMPORTANT DATES

March

March 7

Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

March 7

College  Pro  Days  Begin.    Workouts  of  a  school’s  Pro  Day-eligible  players  with  players  outside  of  the scheduled Pro Day activities are prohibited. Private dinners, meetings, interviews are permitted.

March 7-April 19

Draft-Eligible Facility Visits Begin. Clubs permitted 30 non-local players for physical exams/visits; no on- field workouts.

March 7-April 26

Video or telephone interviews with draft-eligible players begin. Three video or telephone interviews per player; no longer than one hour in length.

March 8-9

Deadline for clubs (60 day after final regular season game) to conduct physical examinations pursuant to CBA Article 45, Section 7(a) for players claiming the Extended Injury Protection Benefit for the 2023 season.

March 13-15

Negotiation Period. During the period beginning at 12:00 noon, New York time, on March 13 and ending at  3:59:59  p.m.,  New  York  time,  on  March  15,  clubs  are  permitted  to  contact,  and  enter  into  contract negotiations  with,  the  certified  agents  of  players  who  will  become  Unrestricted  Free  Agents  upon  the expiration of their 2022 Player Contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 15.
During  the  above  two-day  negotiating  period,  a  prospective  UFA  who  is  not  represented  by  an  NFLPA Certified  Contract  Advisor  is  permitted  to  communicate  directly  with  a  new  club’s  front  office  officials (excluding the Head Coach and other members of the club’s coaching staff) regarding contract negotiations.
No prospective Unrestricted Free Agent is permitted to execute a contract with a new club until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 15.

March 15

End/Start of League Year. Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must exercise options for 2023 on all players who have option clauses in their 2022 contracts.
Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must submit Qualifying Offers to their Restricted Free Agents with expiring contracts to retain a Right of First Refusal/Compensation.
Prior  to  4:00  p.m.,  New  York  time,  clubs  must  submit  a  Minimum  Salary  Tender  to  retain  exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2022 contracts who have fewer than three Accrued Seasons of free agency credit.

Top 51 Rule is in effect. All clubs must be under the 2023 Salary Cap prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time. All 2022 NFL player contracts will expire at 4:00 p.m., New York time.
The 2023 League Year and Free Agency period begin at 4:00 p.m., New York time.
The first day of the 2023 League Year will end at 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 15. Clubs will receive a Personnel Notice that will include all transactions submitted to the League office during the period between 4:00 p.m., New York time, and 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 15.

March 15

Trading period for 2023. Trading begins at 4:00 p.m., New York time, after expiration of all 2022 contracts.

March 15

Commencing  at  4:00  p.m.,  New  York  time,  Clubs  may  designate  up  to  two  Player  Contracts  that,  if terminated on or prior to June 1, 2023, and if not renegotiated after January 9, 2023, shall be treated as if terminated on June 2, subject to the further requirements of CBA Article 13, Section 6(b)(ii)(1).

March 23

Deadline for all Clubs to submit their individual lists of Physician-Certified Candidates for the 2023 Extended Injury Protection Benefit.

March 26-29

Annual League Meeting (The Biltmore, Phoenix, AZ)

March 30

Deadline for clubs to meet 2023 funding requirements for guaranteed or deferred compensation in NFL Player Contracts and contracts for non-player Club employees.

April

April 3

Clubs that hired a new Head Coach after the end of the 2022 regular season may begin offseason workout programs.

April 17

Clubs with returning Head Coaches may begin offseason workout programs.

April 19

Deadline for  clubs  to time, test, visit, interview, or conduct a physical examination  with a draft-eligible player at its club facility.

April 21

Deadline for Restricted Free Agents to sign Offer Sheets.

April 26

Deadline for Prior Club to exercise Right of First Refusal to Restricted Free Agents.

April 27

Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview (including video and phone calls), or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at any location.

April 27-29

Annual Selection Meeting/NFL Draft (Kansas City, MO)

May

May 1

Deadline for Prior Club to send “May 1 Tender” to its unsigned Unrestricted Free Agents.  If the player has not signed a Player Contract with a Club by July 22 or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later, he may negotiate or sign a Player Contract from that date until the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, at 4:00 p.m., New York time, only with his Prior Club.

May 2

Deadline for Clubs to exercise Fifth-Year Option for players selected in the first round of the 2020 Draft.

May 5-8 or
May 12-15

Clubs may elect to hold their one three-day post-Draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday on one of the two weekends following the Draft.

May 15

Rookie Football Development Programs begin.

May 18-21
(Tentative)

NFLPA Rookie Premiere, TBD

May 22-24

Spring League Meeting, TBD

July

July 17

Deadline for teams that designated a Franchise Players to sign a multi-year contract extension is 4:00 PM ET. After this, player can only sign one-year contract that cannot be extended until after the team’s final regular season game.

August

August 3-6

Hall of Fame Weekend, Canton, Ohio

September

September 7

NFL Kickoff Game