The NFL and NFL Players Association have scheduled most of their key dates for the 2022 offseason. Here’s the breakdown, via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link):
- Franchise and Transition Tag Period: Feb. 22 — March 8, 2022
- Start Of 2022 League Year and Free Agency: March 16, 2022 (4pm ET)
- 2022 NFL Draft: April 28-30, 2022
- Offseason Workouts: April 4 (for teams with new head coaches); April 18 (for all other teams)
- Restricted Free Agency Signing Period Ends: April 22, 2022
- Last Day To Match RFA Offer Sheets: April 27, 2022
The 2022 NFL Draft will take place in Las Vegas, Nev., as a mulligan for the pandemic-altered draft of 2020. On the whole, these dates are in line with the NFL’s usual calendar, save for 2020.
The 2022 salary cap is expected to fall around $208M, up from this year’s $182.5M figure. As it stands, the free-agent class is slated to include Packers wide receiver Davante Adams, Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson and Chiefs offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. Of course, for Adams and other stars, there’s still lots of time for an extension to keep them from the open market.
More must-reads: