The NFL new league year officially began at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, which means 510 players became free agents and can sign with a team of their choice.
The legal tampering period began Monday, which saw a number of crazy trades including the Houston Texans sending DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals and Kyle Van Noy agreeing to a four-year deal with the Miami Dolphins. But Tuesday proved to be a little crazier, as Tom Brady officially ended his 20-year stint in New England when he announced he was leaving the Patriots.
But there’s still a plethora of players who either are restricted or unrestricted free agents, along with transition and franchise players.
More NFL: Reported Details On Why Tom Brady Chose Buccaneers In Free Agency
So, what’s it all mean?
Here’s a breakdown of the time period for when each player can sign, all per an NFL press release, and what each category means:
Restricted Free Agents – March 18 to April 17.
Unrestricted Free Agents (who have received the May 4 tender from prior club) – March 18 to July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later).
Franchise Players – March 18 to November 17, the Tuesday following Week 10 of the regular season.
Transition Players – March 18 to July 22.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
If a player in this category receives an offer from a new club to sign a player contract for the 2020 season or for 2020 and future seasons, which offer the player desires to accept, the offer must be set forth in an offer sheet, signed by both the new club and the player, and must be substantially in the form of Appendix B of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement. The new club and the player must specifically identify in the offer sheet those provisions they believe are principal terms that must be matched by the prior club. The new club then must immediately: hand deliver the offer sheet, or send it by overnight mail, or by electronic mail in .pdf form (in each case a confirmation copy shall also be sent by first class mail) to the prior club, to the attention of the club’s president or general manager.
The new club must send copies of the offer sheet to the National Football League Players Association and to the National Football League using the above described delivery procedures. If the offer sheet is hand delivered, the new club should obtain an acknowledgement of receipt. In addition, the new club shall notify the League office via the transaction system of the terms of an offer sheet immediately upon delivery to a prior club.
In order to submit an offer sheet, a new club must have available the required selection choice, defined as its own or better choice in the applicable rounds, in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Offer sheets may be submitted to a prior club until 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on Friday, April 17. An offer sheet shall be deemed given only when received by the prior club. A first refusal exercise notice, which must be substantially in the form of Appendix C to the CBA, shall be deemed given when sent by the prior club.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (WITH FOUR OR MORE ACCRUED SEASONS)
In the event that a player in this category has not signed a player contract with a club by Wednesday, July 22, 2020 or the first scheduled day of the first 2020 NFL training camp, he may negotiate or sign a player contract from July 22 until the Tuesday following the 10th week of the regular season, at 4 p.m., New York time, only with his prior club, provided that by April 27 the prior club has extended such player an unrestricted free agent tender under Article 9, Section 1(b)(i) (the unrestricted free agent tender) of the CBA, as amended.
In the event the player has not signed a player contract with a club by April 27, 2020, and if his prior club has not extended the player unrestricted free agent tender or has withdrawn the tender, the player shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a player contract with any club without any penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, draft choice compensation between clubs or first rights of any kind, or any signing period.
FRANCHISE PLAYERS
The prior club has a right of first refusal to the players and compensation of two No. 1 draft choices. In order to submit an offer sheet, a new club must have available the required choices, defined as its own or better choices in the first round in the 2020 and 2021 NFL Drafts. Offer sheets must be submitted to a prior club prior to 4 p.m., New York time, on the Tuesday following the 10th regular season weekend. Offer sheets to franchise players are subject to the rules governing offer sheets to restricted free agents, as set forth in the category above, except that the prior club will be entitled to two No. 1 draft choices if the club declines to exercise its right of first refusal.
TRANSITION PLAYERS
The prior club has a right of first refusal to the player listed above. Offer sheets must be submitted to a prior club prior to 4 p.m., New York time, on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Offer sheets to a transition player are subject to the rules governing offer sheets to restricted free agents, except that no draft choice compensation shall be made with respect to a transition player.
