Key Upcoming Offseason Dates – Countdown to Free Agency & Beyond

While the 2026 league year does not technically begin until March 11^th, there are many key calendar dates that are part of the NFL offseason process.  The following are the key dates on the league calendar between now and the beginning of Training Camp.

FEBRUARY 9^th – As of the Monday after the Super Bowl, teams are allowed to start releasing players without any repercussion on the 2025 Salary Cap.  All veteran players with more than four (4) accrued seasons are immediately free agents and not subject to waivers. All non-vested veterans (i.e. less than four (4) accrued seasons) are subject to waivers. If they clear waivers, they immediately become free agents and are free to sign a contract at any time (even if before March 11^th).

With the new league year set to commence on March 11^th, the Ravens (and most teams) generally start making salary cap moves in late February and early March.

FEBRUARY 23^rd  – MARCH 2^nd – NFL Draft Combine.

FEBRUARY 17^th – MARCH 3^rd – As of February 17^th, teams can begin designating pending Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs) with the Franchise or Transition Tag.  If a team wants to use either Tag, they must do so by 4:00 pm on Tuesday, March 3^rd.

The Ravens don’t appear to have any candidates for the Franchise Tag this year.

MARCH 1^st – Barring a contract extension before then, the contracts of WR DeAndre Hopkins and WR Tylan Wallace will void on March 1^st.  This will cause the bonus prorations contained in their void years to accelerate onto the 2026 Salary Cap.  If extensions can be reached with either or both players, the future void years will not accelerate onto the 2026 Cap.

MID-MARCH – The date that the NFL has announced the awarding of Compensatory Draft picks has varied over the years (March 10^th in 2020 and 2021; March 15^th in 2022; March 9^th in 2023; March 11^th in 2024 and 2025).  The Ravens are expected to receive four (4) Compensatory picks this year for the 2025 free agent losses of OL Patrick Mekari, CB Brandon Stephens, CB Tre’Davious White and OL Josh Jones.

MARCH 9^th – The “legal tampering” window opens.  At Noon on March 9^th, teams and pending UFAs can start discussing contract offers and terms with potential free agents, though a contract cannot be agreed upon (*wink-wink*) until March 11^th.

MARCH 11^th – At 4:00 pm on Wednesday, March 11^th, the 2026 league year begins:

• Teams must have submitted tender offers to all of their Restricted Free Agents (RFAs) and Exclusive Rights Free Agents (ERFAs) who they want to retain.
• Teams must exercise all 2026 contract options tied to the first day of the league year.
• Free agency begins for Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs) and Restricted Free Agents (RFAs)
• The trading period begins.  Any trades agreed to before this date can now be officially consummated.
• And, most importantly, all teams must be under the Salary Cap and the Rule of 51 Cap computation begins.

The 2026 Salary Cap has yet to be officially announced, but most reports are expecting it to be in the $295-310M range.  The Ravens presently have around $33M in Cap space (with a $305M Cap). This number will obviously change between now and March 11^th as the Ravens make other moves – RFA/ERFA tenders, signing, re-signings, restructures and/or contract extensions – aimed at creating additional Cap space.

SALARY CAP: Baltimore Ravens 2026 Offseason Roster Preview

MARCH 15^th – 5^th Day of League Year – the following contract triggers occur if the player is on the roster on March 15^th:

• TE Mark Andrews’ 2026 $9.2M Option Bonus is due and $5M of Andrews’ 2027 Salary becomes fully guaranteed.
• WR Rashod Bateman’s 2026 $4M Option Bonus is due.
• S Kyle Hamilton’s 2027 $17M Salary becomes fully guaranteed.
• RB Derrick Henry’s $9.7M Option Bonus is due.
• RB Justice Hill’s $250K Roster Bonus is due.
• CB Marlon Humphrey’s $4M Roster Bonus is due.
• DT Travis Jones’ $6.285M Option Bonus is due and his 2027 $9M Salary becomes fully guaranteed.
• QB Cooper Rush’s $700K Roster Bonus is due.
• LB Roquan Smith’s $4M Roster Bonus is due.
• OT Ronnie Stanley’s $20.2M Option Bonus is due.

APRIL 17^th – The deadline for teams to sign RFAs to an offer sheet.  If another team signs a RFA to an offer sheet, the player’s present team has five (5) days to match that offer or potentially (depending on the tender given to the player) receive draft pick compensation if they decline to match.  With the draft starting on April 23^rd, the deadline to sign a player to an offer sheet and allow for the required 5-day match period is April 17^th.

RB Keaton Mitchell is a RFA this year.

ARPIL 23^rd-25^th – The NFL Draft, to be held in Pittsburgh this year.

The Ravens will have the 14th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft and presently are expected to have 11 total picks in the 2026 draft.  They presently have their own 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Round picks. The Ravens traded their own 6th Rd to the Jets during the 2025 draft and their own 7th to the Rams as part of the 2024 Tre’Davious White trade.  The Ravens acquired the Chargers’ 5th Round pick (Oweh trade) and the Eagles’ 7th Rd pick (Jaire Alexander trade) during this past season. The Ravens are also expected to receive four (4) Compensatory Picks for the 2025 free agency losses of OL Patrick Mekari (5th), CB Brandon Stephens (5th), OL Josh Jones (7th) and CB Tre’Davious White (7th).

This would give the Ravens the following eleven (11) picks – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 5th, 5th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 7th.

April 27th – The Monday after the NFL Draft. This date, which was moved forward from June 1st a couple of years ago, is essentially the last date that the signing or losing of a free agent will count toward the Compensatory Draft pick calculation. A Tender, which is rarely used, can be given to a UFA which would allow him to continue counting towards the Comp pick formula and potentially give the team exclusive negotiating rights with a player later in the summer (after July 22nd).  It also provides extended Comp pick eligibility if the player is tendered a contract of at least 110% of his prior year’s compensation by April 27th. Otherwise, if the player is not given the Tender, he no longer counts toward the Comp pick formula, and the team does not gain any special negotiating advantage later in the off season.

MAY 1^st  – Technically, May 2nd is the CBA-mandated date (“Prior to May 3^rd” in the CBA) by which 5th Year Options must be exercised for players entering their 4th year who were drafted in the 1st round.  This year, however, since May 2^nd falls on a Saturday, the deadline for 2026 is Friday, May 1^st.

Last year, the Ravens exercised the 5^th Year Option for Kyle Hamilton but declined the option for Tyler Linderbaum.  This year, the Ravens will have to decide whether to exercise or decline the 5^th Year Option (2027) for WR Zay Flowers, which is expected to be in the $24-25M range.

JUNE 1^st – This is the last day that teams can release a player and have all of the dead money from that release count against the present year’s Salary Cap.  If released after June 1^st, only the present year’s bonus proration counts against the Cap in that year and all future bonus prorations would count against the following year’s Cap.

JULY 15^th – This is the deadline for signing a player who has received the Franchise or Transition tag to a long-term deal.  If no long-term deal can be reached by this date, the player must play that year under the 1-year contract provided under the Franchise/Transaction Tender and cannot sign a long-term deal until after the season is over.

LATE JULY – NFL training camps start opening.

The post Key Upcoming Offseason Dates – Countdown to Free Agency & Beyond appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2026/01/16/baltimore-ravens-salary-cap/offseason-dates-2026/