The Seattle Seahawks’ Victory and the NFL Offseason Ahead

Celebrations are still going strong among the Seattle Seahawks and their fans.

Meanwhile, there are 31 other teams vying for a chance at their glory.

The offseason officially kicks off this week with an important NFL date approaching on Tuesday. That’s when teams can begin tagging players as they look ahead to the 2026 season. Below are some crucial dates to mark on the calendar.

From February 17 until March 3 at 4 PM ET, teams will have the ability to tag players using either a franchise or transition tag.

The NFL Scouting Combine will also take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. But the most significant actions this week might not be happening on the field; they could be the conversations happening late at night in places like High Velocity and Prime. More on that later.

Remember, March 3 is the final day for teams to assign franchise or transition tags, with all changes needing to be documented by 4:00 PM ET.

Next comes the “tampering” period! Starting at noon ET on March 9 and running until just before 4 PM ET on March 11, teams can talk to agents of players who will soon be unrestricted free agents, negotiating contracts that would be in effect come March 12.

During this legal tampering phase, unrepresented free agents can communicate directly with team officials—except for coaches—about potential contracts. But the teams need to confirm these players aren’t represented.

Keep in mind that unrestricted free agents can’t finalize any contracts until March 11 at 4:00 PM ET.

So, about those quiet conversations in Indy that I mentioned earlier—there’s a sense that something could be announced soon, almost like an “understanding” behind the scenes.

The new NFL league year starts on March 11, and that’s when free agency formally opens at 4 PM ET. Not to mention, the trade window for this year will also open then, immediately after all contracts from 2026 expire.

The first day of the 2026 League Year wraps up on March 12 at 11:59:59 PM ET. After that, each team will get notifications about all transactions made between 4:00 PM ET and the end of the day.

The annual League Meeting will take place in Phoenix, Arizona.

If teams hire new head coaches, they’ll be permitted to start offseason training programs.

Also, there’s a deadline coming up for teams to evaluate, interview, or physically examine players eligible for the draft.

Beyond that, we’ll see the cut-off time for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.

Returning head coaches can also commence their offseason training programs.

For teams, there’s a deadline to exert their first refusal rights concerning restricted free agents signing offer sheets.

Additionally, teams have until this time to check out, interview, or assess draft-eligible players through any means available.

And as always, the Las Vegas Raiders are gearing up!

The 2026 NFL Draft is set to take place over three days in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

There’s also a deadline for teams to decide on the fifth-year options for first-round draft picks from 2023.

Teams can opt to host a single three-day rookie minicamp after the draft, picking from two weekends following the event.

A new football development initiative will kick off as well.

Looking ahead, the NFLPA Rookie Premier will happen in Los Angeles, California.

And, as the Spring League Meeting is scheduled for Orlando, Florida, teams are reminded that if they flag a franchise player, they have until 4:00 PM ET to secure a multi-year contract or extension. Failing to do so means the player can only sign a one-year deal with their existing team for the 2025 season, and any contract extensions wouldn’t be possible until after the regular season finale.