Pittsburgh Review

Free agency for the 2025 NFL season is set to commence at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 12. This period can be complex and fast-moving, and the NFL has provided some key details to help navigate it.

The salary cap for each club in 2025 is established at $279,200,000. The free agency signing period begins on March 12 at 4:00 p.m. ET. A two-day negotiating window will open from noon on Monday, March 10 until just before the start of free agency, allowing clubs to negotiate with agents of potential unrestricted free agents.

"Players are either 'restricted free agents' or 'unrestricted free agents,'" according to the NFL's guidelines. Restricted free agents may receive a "qualifying offer," while both restricted and unrestricted players can be designated as franchise or transition players by their previous teams.

For restricted free agents, negotiations run from March 12 to April 18. Unrestricted free agents who have received a tender by April 28 have until July 22 or the first day of training camp to sign new contracts. Franchise player signings must occur between March 12 and November 11, while transition players follow a similar timeline.

A player with three accrued seasons receiving a qualifying offer becomes a restricted free agent when his contract expires after the 2024 season ends on March 12. In contrast, an unrestricted free agent has completed four or more seasons and can sign with any club without compensation owed to his previous team.

An "accrued season" is defined as six or more regular-season games spent on active/inactive lists or injury reserves.

The right of first refusal amounts for players with three accrued seasons range from $3,263,000 to $7,958,000 depending on draft-choice compensation terms.

Unrestricted free agents have until July 22 (or the first day of training camp) to sign elsewhere unless they receive a tender by April 28 from their old club. If no tender is made by this date, they can sign anytime throughout the season.

Franchise player status depends on salary offers: exclusive franchise players cannot sign elsewhere; non-exclusive ones may negotiate but require draft-choice compensation if signed by another team.

Each team may designate one franchise or transition player per season and can withdraw these designations under certain conditions.

Compliance with the salary cap must occur by March 12 when the league year begins. Teams under budget at season's end may carry over unused cap space into the next year fully if notified appropriately.