When does NFL free agency start?

After the Super Bowl in February, all NFL teams turn their focus to free agency and the draft. The free-agency signing period begins in March each year. In 2019, it began at 4 p.m. ET on March 13.

In 2019, teams were permitted to negotiate with a certified agent of a player who became an unrestricted free agent upon the expiration of his contract. The two-day window to negotiate in 2019 was from noon ET on March 11 to one second before 4 p.m. ET on March 13.

What are the free-agent designations in the NFL?

There are two main types of free agents in the NFL: restricted and unrestricted.

If a player has completed four or more accrued seasons of service and his contract expires at the end of a season, he is an unrestricted free agent. If he signs with another team, his old club does not receive compensation.

Rules for restricted free agents are different. In 2019, according to the NFL:

If a player with three accrued seasons has received a "qualifying offer” — a salary tender predetermined by the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) — from his old club, he can negotiate with any club through April 19. If the restricted free agent signs an offer sheet with a new club, his old club can match the offer and keep him because they have a right of first refusal on any offer sheet the player signs. If the old club does not match the offer, it may receive draft choice compensation depending on the amount of its qualifying offer.

In 2019, the deadline for a restricted free agent to sign an offer sheet from another team was April 19.

How is NFL free agency different?

Major League Baseball has no salary cap, but the NFL restricts what each team can spend on players. Like the NHL, the NFL has a "hard" cap. NBA teams operate under a "soft" salary cap, which allows teams to spend over a certain amount but face restrictions in free agency. NBA teams may also offer guaranteed contracts. NFL contracts are not guaranteed.