When Does NFL Free Agency Start?

NFL free agency is organized chaos. It’s optimism season and overreaction season. It’s “this changes everything” season — at least until September says otherwise.

In 2026, free agency officially opens Wednesday, March 11 at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT) when the new league year begins and contracts can be signed.

The Legal Tampering Window

The negotiating period opens Monday, March 9 at 12 p.m. ET. Teams can speak with agents of unrestricted free agents, and within minutes, full contract terms start flying across timelines.