The Washington Commanders' 2025 season did not go as planned, but the team is ready to retool and regain at least some of the success it had following their historic 2024 season. That work starts this offseason, and fans will want to keep their eyes on these dates as the team prepares for Year 3 under Quinn and General Manager Adam Peters.

January

• Jan. 5: Clubs may begin signing free agent players for the 2026 season, including players from the CFL. Earliest permissible date for clubs to renegotiate or extend the rookie contract of a drafted rookie who was selected in any round of the 2023 NFL Draft or any undrafted rookie who signed in 2024. Any permissible renegotiated or extended player contract will not be considered a rookie contract and will not be subject to the rules that limit rookie contracts. Clubs may exercise fifth-year options for players selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
• Jan. 7: Beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET, on the Wednesday following the final regular season weekend, rosters are frozen for clubs participating in the postseason with limited exceptions.
• Jan. 10-12: Wild Card Weekend powered by Verizon.
• Jan. 14: Deadline for college players who are underclassmen to apply for Special Eligibility.
• Jan. 17-18: Divisional Playoffs presented by Intuit TurboTax
• Jan. 25: AFC and NFC Championship Games presented by Intuit TurboTax.
• Jan. 27: East-West Shrine Bowl, Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas.
• Jan. 31: Senior Bowl, Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Alabama

February

• Feb. 3: Pro Bowl Games powered by Verizon, Moscone Center, San Francisco, California.
• Feb. 8: Super Bowl LX, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California.
• Feb. 17: Beginning this date through 4:00 p.m. ET on March 3, clubs may designate Franchise or Transition Players.
• Feb. 23-March 2: NFL Scouting Combine, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana.

March

• March 3: Prior to 4:00 p.m. ET, deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
• March 9-11: During the period beginning at 12:00 noon, ET, on March 9 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m. ET, on March 11, clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their 2025 player contracts at 4:00 p.m. ET, on March 12. A prospective UFA who is not represented by an NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor ("Unrepresented Player") is permitted to communicate directly with a new club's front office officials (excluding the head coach and other members of the club's coaching staff) regarding contract negotiations. The club is responsible for confirming the player's status as an unrepresented player. No prospective unrestricted free agent is permitted to execute a contract with a new club until 4:00 p.m. ET, on March 11.
• March 11: The 2026 League Year and free agency signing period begin at 4:00 p.m. ET. Trading period for 2026 begins at 4:00 p.m. ET, after expiration of all 2025 contracts. The first day of the 2026 League Year will end at 11:59:59 p.m. ET, on March 12. Clubs will receive a personnel notice that will include all transactions submitted to the League office during the period between 4:00 p.m. ET, and 11:59:59 p.m. ET, on March 11.
• March 29-April 1: Annual League Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona.

April

• April 6: Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2025 regular season may begin offseason workout programs.
• April 15: Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview, or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at its club facility.
• April 17: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.
• April 20: Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs.
• April 22: Deadline for prior club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents who signed offer sheets. Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview (including video and phone calls) or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at any location.
• April 23-25: NFL Draft, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

May

• May 1: Deadline for clubs to exercise fifth-year option for players selected in the first round of the 2023 Draft.
• May 1-4 or May 8-11: Clubs may elect to hold their one three-day post-Draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday on one of the two weekends following the Draft.
• May 11: Rookie Football Development Programs begin.
• May 13-17: NFLPA Rookie Premiere, Los Angeles, California.
• May 19-20: Spring League Meeting, Orlando, Florida.

June

• June 1: Deadline for prior club to send "June 1 Tender" to its unsigned restricted free agents who received a qualifying offer for a right of first refusal only for such player to be subject to the CBA's "June 15 Tender" provision.
• June 15: Deadline for club to withdraw higher qualifying offer to restricted free agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting lower "June 15 Tender" of one-year contract at 110 percent of the player's prior-year Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior-year contract carried forward unchanged).
• Late June: Rookie Readiness Program to be held at individual clubs.

July

• July: 15: At 4:00 p.m. ET, deadline for any club that designated a Franchise Player to sign such player to a multiyear contract or extension. After this date, the player may sign only a one-year contract with his prior club for the 2026 season, and such contract cannot be extended until after the club's last regular season game.
• Mid-July: Clubs are permitted to open preseason training camp for rookies (defined as a player who has never signed an NFL player contract with a club in a prior league year) beginning seven days prior to the club's mandatory reporting date for veteran players. Clubs may require first-year players (defined as a player who signed an NFL player contract with any club in a prior league year, but who does not have a pension-credited season) to report on the designated reporting date for all rookies, or at any time thereafter, including, but not limited to, the designated reporting date for veteran quarterbacks and injured players, or the designated reporting date for all other veteran players. Veteran quarterbacks and "injured players" (as defined in CBA Article 21, Section 6) may be required to report to the club's preseason training camp no earlier than five days immediately prior to the mandatory reporting date for all other veteran players, provided the club has already opened (or simultaneously opens) its official preseason training camp for all rookies. At 4:00 p.m. ET, signing period ends for Transition Players with outstanding tenders. After this date and until 4:00 p.m. ET, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights.
• July 22: At 4:00 p.m. ET, on July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp whichever is later) signing period ends for unrestricted free agents to whom a "UFA Tender" was made by prior club. After this date and until 4:00 p.m. ET, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights.