2026 NFL offseason dates: Free agency, 2026 NFL Draft, and more

The offseason may lack game days, but it’s one of the busiest and most exciting stretches in the NFL calendar.

With the NFL Scouting Combine and the franchise tag deadline already behind us, there's plenty more to look forward to between now and the opening kickoff of the 2026 season.

Free agency is up next, and the 2026 NFL Draft follows right behind it - two pivotal moments in the NFL calendar that can dramatically reshape rosters and the league’s pecking order.

Here are the key NFL offseason events to watch for, with many airing live for NFL Game Pass subscribers and all covered extensively on DAZN News.

Free agency

• Date: Wednesday, March 11 onward

Free agency is one of the busiest and most fun events of the offseason.

As we've seen in recent weeks, free agency always triggers a flurry of roster changes, including blockbuster trades, contract extensions, and releases, as teams address needs and manage the salary cap.

When free agency opens, teams can begin negotiating with players whose contracts have expired with other teams.

The league has raised the salary cap by $22 million this year, and with four teams boasting more than $80 million in cap space, this year’s free agency period should be one of the most exciting in history.

The 2026 NFL Draft

Arguably the banner event in the offseason calendar, the 2026 NFL Draft will be held at Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh's North Shore.

The full event, which promises to be an incredible spectacle, will be available to NFL Game Pass subscribers.

As always, over seven rounds, teams will pick the next generation of NFL talent and reshape their long-term outlook.

The first round on the opening night delivers most of the drama, but mid and late-round picks can often surprise, as well as the potential for draft night trades.

Here's when to tune in on DAZN:

• Day one: Round 1
• Date: Thursday, April 23
• Time: 1am BST / 8pm ET (Wednesday)

Stream live as the Las Vegas Raiders decide whether to spend the No. 1 pick on College Football Playoff National Championship-winning former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

Watch along to see which direction the Kansas City Chiefs go in at No. 9, and how the Dallas Cowboys decide to spend their two first-round picks.

• Day two: Rounds 2 and 3
• Date: Friday, April 24
• Time: 11pm BST / 6pm ET

Rounds 2 and 3 can shape a franchise. Just ask the Cleveland Browns, who landed Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger on day two in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Chicago Bears picked Luther Burden III, the New Orleans Saints found quarterback Tyler Shough, and the Denver Broncos selected R.J. Harvey in the same round last year.

• Day three: Round 4, 5, 6 and 7
• Date: Saturday, April 25
• Time: 9pm BST / 4pm ET

Don’t underestimate the middle and late rounds. In 2025, Cam Skattebo and Woody Marks went on day three, and the Browns famously ended Shedeur Sanders' slide.

Need more convincing about how important the draft can be?

Rookie minicamps and OTAs

• Date: May-June

Shortly after the draft, teams host rookie minicamps, offering a first look at new players in team colours as they get their first taste of learning the playbook.

Mandatory minicamps

• Date: Mid-June

Mandatory minicamps represent the final phase of organised offseason work, and the first time the entire roster comes together as one.

Sessions typically include light workouts, classroom instruction, and non-contact situational drills.

As the name implies, attendance is required, making these sessions notable for contract situations, holdouts, and early insight into each team's depth chart.

Almost every year, major storylines unfold surrounding high-profile players who skip this event in the hope of forcing contract negotiations.

Training camp and preseason

• Date: July-August

Training camps open in late July, marking the true return of football action. Position battles intensify, highlight reels send social media into a frenzy, and joint practices add further intrigue.

Remember the non-stop drama surrounding Shedeur Sanders in last year's camp?

Imagine just how much media attention QB Fernando Mendoza will command in camp this year.

As the winner of both the College Football Playoff National Championship and the Heisman Trophy, Mendoza is widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Preseason games follow throughout August, giving fans their first live look at teams before the regular season begins.

The first preseason fixture is the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, held in Canton, Ohio, at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

That game serves as the backdrop to the Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony, where, this year, legends such as Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald will be inducted.

From offseason to kickoff

Once the preseason concludes, teams finalise rosters and turn their attention to Week 1.

The long journey from Super Bowl confetti to opening kickoff is complete, and another NFL season is ready to begin.

Full 2026 offseason schedule

Other offseason dates

A complete list of other offseason events and dates can be found here.