Seahawks Offseason: Key NFL dates leading up to training camp

Feb 19, 2024, 11:37 AM | Updated: 11:38 am

Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith passes during a practice in Renton, Wash. (Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

(Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

BY JOSEPH JAROSZ, SACTOWN SPORTS

Staff report

We’re officially one week out from Super Bowl LVIII, which means the offseason for the Seattle Seahawks and the rest of the NFL is about to go into hyperdrive.

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Before we know it, teams will be reporting for rookie minicamps in May and full-team training camps in July.

But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, here’s what’s coming up for the remainder of February and throughout the spring.

Key NFL offseason dates in February and March

The day after President’s Day is when teams can get back to work molding their rosters. From now until 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, teams can franchise tag or transition players.

In one week – Monday, Feb. 26 – the 2024 NFL Combine kicks off at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The combine runs until Monday, March 4.

The schedule looks like this:

• Teams will get a look at defensive linemen and linebackers first on Thursday, Feb. 29.
• Next up is defensive backs and tight ends on Friday, March 1.
• Quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers showcase their skills on Saturday, March 2.
• The event culminates with offensive linemen on Sunday, March 3.

Following the NFL Combine, the new league year officially begins at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 13. There is a legal tampering period from 9 a.m. Monday to 1 p.m. Wednesday, where teams will be able to contact and negotiate deals with players. But teams are not permitted to start signing free agents until after the new league year officially begins.

The month ends with the annual league meeting from March 24-27 in Orlando.

Key dates in April and beyond

April showers bring spring workouts. Wait, that’s not how the saying goes.

Teams with a new head coach get the first crack at offseason workout programs on April 1. That of course includes the Seattle Seahawks, who have replaced Pete Carroll with first-time head coach Mike Macdonald. Two weeks later, teams with returning head coaches can start offseason programs.

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Now, we get into draft time.

Wednesday, April 17, is the final day teams can conduct pre-draft visits with prospects at the team facilities. Teams can meet with prospects in the final seven days leading up to the draft, but it has to be virtual or at another location.

Night one of the 2024 NFL Draft is set for Thursday, April 25. The three-day event concludes on Saturday, April 27. Rookies then head to their first minicamp on either May 3 – 6 or 10 – 13.

The schedule for the 2024 NFL season typically comes out in mid-May, and then teams hold Organized Team Activities (OTAs) either at the end of the month or in early June.

After that, we won’t see players again until late July when training camps begin. See, just like we said, the 2024 season will be here before we know it.

Click here for more from Joseph Jarosz of Sactown Sports.