Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs already have their sights set on a historic three-peat after beating the San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. With that in mind, it’s time to turn the attention to what beckons as another busy offseason ahead of the 2024 campaign.
From free agency to the 2024 NFL Draft, here are some of the offseason dates to keep track of over the coming months…
Franchise tag period – February 20-March 5
From Tuesday February 20, teams can begin to designate the Franchise and Transition Tags to players until 4pm Eastern Time on March 5.
NFL teams are allowed to apply the franchise tag once every offseason, with the one-year contract enabling an organisation to keep a player set to become an unrestricted free agent on a guaranteed deal.
The exclusive franchise tag guarantees the player a salary based on the average top-five salaries at his position or 120 per cent of his previous year’s salary, whichever of the two are higher. It also prevents the player in question from negotiating with another team.
The non-exclusive franchise tag, meanwhile, gives players the opportunity to negotiate with another team. Should they agree to a deal with a new team, the original team has the chance to match it and agree to the new contract or elect against doing so and receive two first-round picks as compensation from the new team.
The transition tag sees the player receive the average annual salary of the top-10 highest-paid players at his position, though the player is also permitted to negotiate a long-term deal with other teams. The original team can again match the offer, however no compensation is given if they choose not to.
NFL Scouting Combine – February 29-March 3
One of the highlights of the pre-Draft process sees Indianapolis play host to the NFL Scouting Combine as the country’s top prospects showcase their athleticism in a series of physical drills in front of team head coaches, general managers, scouts and officials.
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Famously dubbed the ‘Underwear Olympics’ by fans, the Combine is the nationally-televised shop window in which prospects can exhibit their speed and strength in the hope of pushing their way up Draft boards. Among the notable drills are the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, three-tone drill, 20-yard shuttle and 60-yard shuttle, with players split up into their respective position groups throughout the week. John Ross holds the official record for the fastest 40-yard dash at the Combine after running a 4.22 in 2017.
Aside from the on-field activities, one of the most important components of Combine week is the opportunity for prospects to meet with coaches and general managers in interviews as teams seek to find out more about their character and personality.
Free Agency begins – March 11-13
The NFL’s legal tampering period begins on March 11 until the official start of the new league year on March 13, during which time teams are permitted to enter contract negotiations with the agents of players set to become unrestricted free agents when their 2023 contracts expire upon 4pm EST on March 13, which marks the beginning of the free agency period.
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Only upon the start of free agency can players and teams finalise contracts, though much of the heavy lifting tends to take place in the two-day ‘legal tampering’ window.
Expect drama.
Annual League Meeting – March 24-27
This is the period in which all 32 team owners come together in Orlando to vote on prospective new rules.
2024 NFL Draft – April 25-27
The biggest date in the offseason calendar arrives on April 25 this year, as Detroit, Michigan plays host to the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Chicago Bears currently occupy the No 1 overall pick by way of the Carolina Panthers finishing the 2023 season with the worst record in the NFL having parted with their first-round selection, 2023 first and second-round picks, a 2025 second-rounder and wide receiver D.J. Moore to move up and draft quarterback Bryce Young at No. 1 overall in 2023.
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The Washington Commanders sit at No 2 overall, followed by the New England Patriots at No 3 overall, the Arizona Cardinals at No 4 overall and the Los Angeles Chargers at No 5.
USC’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams is widely considered the top prospect at this year’s Draft, while North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr, are among the other leading names.
The Chiefs hold the 32nd overall pick at the end of round one following their victory at the Super Bowl.
Rookie minicamps are then due to take place from either May 3-6 or May 10-13.
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NFL Schedule release – Mid-May
The 2024 NFL schedule will be released sometime around the middle of May as fans find out where their teams will begin their season as well as who will be playing on Thanksgiving and around Christmas.
It should also confirm dates for the NFL’s International Games as the Jacksonville Jaguars return to Wembley Stadium while the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings prepare to host games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Panthers are poised to make their German debut when they play at Munich’s Allianz Arena, while the Philadelphia Eagles will play the first-ever regular-season game in Brazil at Sao Paulo’s Arena Corinthians on the Friday of kickoff weekend.
NFL Training Camps – Late-July
Training camp is where it all begins to feel real. The scrimmages return, the pads come on, the offseason planning is put into motion, the weight training is ramped up and the preseason games get under way as players on the roster bubble fight for a place in the final squad, while others engage in position battles.
It is also when Hard Knocks returns as HBO’s access-all-areas docuseries takes you behind the scenes on one team’s preparations for the upcoming campaign.
Hall of Fame Game – August 1
The Pro Football Hall of Fame game marks the traditional curtain-raiser to preseason, held each year in Canton, Ohio and contributing as part of the Hall of Fame enshrinement celebrations.
The class of 2024 was announced at NFL Honours prior to Super Bowl LVII and includes the following:
- Dwight Freeney, DE
- Randy Gradishar, LB
- Devin Hester, PR/KR/WR
- Andre Johnson, WR
- Steve McMichael, DT
- Julius Peppers, DE
- Patrick Willis, LB
2023 Regular Season starts – September 7
The new NFL season is set to get under way on September 5, and as is tradition the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will host the Thursday night kick-off after beating the 49ers to claim their third ring in five years.
Where and when is Super Bowl LIX?
Super Bowl LIX will be held on February 9, 2025 at Caesars Superdome, the home of the New Orleans Saints.
It will be the eighth time the Super Bowl has been held in the stadium.
Sky Sports coverage of the NFL will continue through the offseason as we track the player moves and the storylines in the build-up to the 2024 season.
Source : Sky Sports
