NFL offseason calendar 2026: Important dates, free agency, draft, more — and more

Some NFL teams have made some early moves to adjust their roster before the 2026 season. But we’re still in the quirky window between last season, and the start of the next season’s NFL calendar.

After the scouting combine, the NFL turns attention to free agency, then the NFL draft in late April.

And before you know it, we’ll have another NFL season on our hands.

Here are some important dates to know heading into the next season:

NFL offseason calendar 2026

Franchise tag window closes: March 3

Teams have until 4 p.m. ET to franchise or transition tag a pending free agent.

NFL legal tampering begins: March 9-11

The negotiation process begins between NFL teams and agents on players hitting the open market.

NFL free agency, new league year: March 11

The new league year begins at 3 p.m. ET, signaled by the first wave of free agent deals agreed to during the tampering window.

NFL league meetings: March 29 to April 1

NFL owners, lead executives and coaches will meet in Phoenix for the annual league meetings to discuss rule changes and other matters.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola maintains there is a lot to fight for in the title race despite his side losing further ground to Arsenal on Wednesday night.

City’s winning run came to an end at six games across all competitions as two moments of brilliance from Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson rescued a 2-2 draw for Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium.

Arsenal, on the other hand, picked up their third Premier League win in a row courtesy of an early Bukayo Saka strike against Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.

The Gunners stand seven points clear of City and despite playing an extra game, Mikel Arteta and co are firmly in the driving seat in the title race and will be confident of winning a first Premier League title in 22 years for Arsenal.

Where do City’s title chances stand after drawing to Forest?

Manchester City made a poor start to 2026 that saw doubts circle over their silverware prospects in January but after turning a corner in February, there was renewed hope of another potential title hijack from the Etihad Stadium.

However, City’s chances of usurping Arsenal look bleak and Guardiola knows his side can only control their own results and hope for a slip-up from the north Londoners after their latest set of dropped points against Nottingham Forest.

“Disappointed for the result. We did everything, again,” Guardiola said in a post-match interview with TNT Sports. “We didn’t concede much and we had chances, at the end especially, but during the game as well. But yeah, (we will) keep going.”

On whether he is expecting further twists and turns in the title race, Guardiola added: “There are a lot of games to play so we have to continue.”

What did Guardiola make of Manchester City’s penalty claims against Forest?

Manchester City had two major shouts for a penalty waved away by referee Darren England against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, prompting strong criticism from club captain Bernardo Silva for officiating decisions repeatedly going against the Blues this term.

However, Guardiola took a more pragmatic approach to his verdict on the denied penalties. “Nothing to say,” the Catalan said to TNT Sports on the penalty shouts that went against Manchester City against Forest.

Adding on the subject in his post-match press conference, the 55-year-old said: “Always I believe we have to do much better, much better to not make interventions from officials.

“Otherwise, we don’t have anything. It’s our responsibility to do better. If you have to rely on them with what happened this season, it’s impossible. Nothing more to say.”

How do Manchester City pick themselves up to go again?

Guardiola was not overly critical of his side’s performance against Forest – in fact, the Manchester City manager liked certain aspects of what his players put on show against Vitor Pereira’s men.

“In general, it was a good performance,” Guardiola said in his press conference. “Many, many good things. And of course, we have things we can improve in some departments. But in general, really good.”

On whether it would be difficult for Manchester City to pick themselves up again after their latest setback, Guardiola said in a defiant tone: “Are you sure? Okay…”

Guardiola and his players don’t have the luxury of time to dwell upon Wednesday’s disappointment as they quickly switch their focus to Saturday night’s FA Cup fifth round tie against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.

Arne Slot has insisted that he’s ‘happy’ with the transfer business that Liverpool completed last summer and that it was impossible to predict the extent of the injury problems which have affected his squad this season.

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Despite an outlay of almost £450m on new players in 2025, the Reds find themselves sixth in the Premier League table with only nine matches remaining to salvage Champions League qualification, falling woefully short of expectations at the outset of the campaign.

Between a spate of long-term injuries and some simultaneous absences in certain positions, the LFC head coach has felt compelled to deploy players in unfamiliar roles to try and plug the gaps, and it’s evident that a few core names have been badly missed in recent weeks and months.

Slot ‘happy’ with Liverpool’s summer transfer business

In his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s FA Cup clash against Wolves, Slot was asked if he has any regrets over not ensuring that he’d had a deeper squad by the end of last summer’s transfer window.

The 47-year-old insisted (via Liverpool Echo): “I’m happy with what we did last summer. We signed so many great players but you can’t predict that so many would be injured. Adaptation you can predict.

“It’s the model we are having that we don’t have 25 players over here. It hurts even more if you have three or four long-term injuries. I knew when I came in this was the model and I’m happy with that.”

Bad luck has played a part, but lessons to be learned for Liverpool

Nobody could accuse Liverpool of not being ambitious in the transfer market last summer, and as Slot says, no-one could’ve legislated for the extent to which the Reds have been hampered by injuries this season.

Don Hutchison made the point that the Dutchman had vastly superior strength in depth last term compared to now, highlighting how the exits of several big-name players have contributed to the shortage of options in reserve during the current campaign.

Injury issues are an inevitability in football, especially in an era where such intense demands are placed on those at the highest level, but LFC have been unlucky to lose Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo and Alexander Isak to long-term setbacks.

That’s not to mention the likes of Jeremie Frimpong, Alisson Becker, Joe Gomez and Florian Wirtz being sidelined at times throughout the season, although Slot hinted that the German could make a brief substitute outing at Molineux tomorrow night.

Liverpool would undoubtedly be a different beast if they had a fully-fit squad, although the travails of this campaign must be taken into account in the composition of transfer policy for the upcoming summer so that we don’t find ourselves in the same unwelcome scenario in 2026/27.