When does NFL free agency start?

Free agency in the NFL begins right when the new league year begins. Find out when free agency is this year and which teams have the most cap space.

Reem AbdalazemUpdate: Feb 6th, 2022 14:51 EST

Kirby LeeUSA TODAY Sports

The NFL offseason can be nearly as eventful as the on-field action, with trades, free agency and the draft filling the spring and summer months.

While some of these terms can be hard to understand, a free agent, in any sports league, is quite simply a player who is no longer under contract. In the NFL specifically, there are two types of free agents: restricted and unrestricted; a restricted player is one who has completed three seasons in the NFL and an expired contract, while an unrestricted free agent has more than four years under their belt and is outside of their contract. 

NFL teams can start speaking with free agents two days before free agency begins during the legal tampering period. On Monday, March 14, 2022, at 12 p.m. ET, clubs can contact and negotiate with players who will become unrestricted free agents, and agree to deals, but cannot sign with them until the new league year begins- two days later. 

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When does NFL free agency start?

Free agency in the NFL begins right when the new league year begins. This year, that falls on March 16, 2022, at 4 p.m. ET.

Which NFL teams have the most cap space?

The salary cap, which is the total that a team can spend on all their players combined within a given year, can be a tricky thing in the NFL. Football players do not have fully guaranteed salaries, unlike the NBA. Between bonuses, incentives and void years, there are several ways teams can clear cap space.