2013-14 NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE IMPORTANT DATES
– DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE –
August 8-11 -- First Preseason Weekend.
August 15-19 -- Second Preseason Weekend.
August 22-25 -- Third Preseason Weekend.
August 27
Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must reduce their rosters to a maximum of 75 players on the Active List.
August 28
All tryouts on this date and for the remainder of the season must be reported to the League office.
August 29
Final Preseason Games.
August 31
Prior to 6:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must reduce rosters to a maximum of 53 players on the Active/Inactive List.
August 31
Simultaneously with the cut-down to 53, clubs that have players in the categories of Active/Physically Unable to Perform or Active/Non-Football Injury or Illness must select one of the following options: place player on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform or Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness, whichever is applicable; request waivers; terminate contract; trade contract; or continue to count the player on the Active List.
September 1
-Claiming period for players placed on waivers at the final roster reduction will expire at 12:00 p.m., New York time.
-Beginning at 12:00 p.m., New York time, clubs may establish a Practice Squad of eight players by signing free agents who do not have an Accrued Season of free agency credit or who were on the 46-player Active List for less than nine regular season games during each of any Accrued Seasons. A player cannot serve on the Practice Squad for more than three seasons.
-Final day of preseason training camp for all clubs, as defined in CBA Article 23, Section 9.
September 3
After 4:00 p.m., New York time, a club is permitted to place a player on Reserve/Injured as "Designated for Return."
September 4
At 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for all NFL Player Contracts, Practice Player Contracts, tender offers, and miscellaneous amounts to fit within each Club's 2013 Salary Cap, in anticipation of the midnight expiration of the Top 51 Rule.
September 5
At 12:00 a.m., New York time, the Top 51 Rule expires for all NFL Clubs.
September 5, 8-9
Regular Season opens.
September 24
Beginning on the Tuesday following the third weekend of regular season games, the claiming priority is based on the inverse order of the standing of clubs in the current season's games.
September 29
NFL International Series, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings, London, England
October 7-9
Fall League Meeting, Washington, D.C.
October 15
Beginning the day after the conclusion of the sixth regular season weekend and continuing through the day after the conclusion of the 11th regular season weekend, clubs are permitted to begin practicing players on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform and Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness for a period not to exceed 21 days. Players may be activated during the 21-day practice period or prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the day after the conclusion of the 21-day period.
October 27
NFL International Series, San Francisco 49ers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, London, England
October 29
All trading ends for 2013 at 4:00 p.m., New York time.
October 30
Players with at least four previous pension-credited seasons are subject to the waiver system for the remainder of the regular season and postseason.
November 12
-At 4:00 p.m., New York time, signing period ends for Franchise Players who are eligible to receive Offer Sheets.
-Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for clubs to sign their unsigned Franchise and Transition Players, including Franchise Players who were eligible to receive Offer Sheets until this date. If still unsigned after this date, such players are prohibited from playing in the NFL in
2013.
-Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for clubs to sign their Unrestricted Free Agents to whom the "June 1 Tender" was made. If still unsigned after this date, such players are prohibited from playing in the NFL in 2013.
-Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for Clubs to sign their Restricted Free Agents, including those to whom the "June 1 Tender" was made. If such players remain unsigned after this date, they are prohibited from playing in the NFL in 2013.
-Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for Clubs to sign their drafted rookies. If such players remain unsigned after this date, they are prohibited from playing in NFL in 2013.
November 29
Deadline at 4:00 p.m., New York time, for reinstatement of players in Reserve List categories of Retired, Did Not Report, and Exclusive Rights, and of players who were placed on Reserve/Left Squad in a previous season.
December 29
17th Week of Regular Season Games.
December 30
-Clubs may begin signing free agent players for the 2014 season.
-Earliest permissible date for clubs to renegotiate or extend the rookie contract of a drafted rookie who was selected in any round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Any permissible renegotiated or extended player contract will not be considered a rookie contract, and will not be subject to the rules that limit rookie contracts.
-Option exercise period begins for Fifth-Year Option for First-Round Selections from the 2011 College Draft. To exercise the option, the club must give written notice to the player on or after December 30, 2013 but prior to May 3, 2014.
2014
January 4-5
Wild Card Playoff Games.
January 5
Assistant coaches under contract to playoff clubs that have byes in the Wild Card weekend may be interviewed for head coaching positions through the conclusion of the Wild Card games.
January 11-12
Divisional Playoff Games.
January 12
Assistant coaches under contract to playoff clubs that won their Wild Card games may be interviewed for head coaching positions through the conclusion of Divisional Playoff games.
January 18
-East-West Shrine Game, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida.
-AFC and NFC Championship Games.
January 25
Senior Bowl, Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama.
January 26
-AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii.
-An assistant coach, whose team is participating in the Super Bowl, who has previously interviewed for another club's head coaching job may have a second interview with such club no later than the Sunday preceding the Super Bowl.
February 2
Super Bowl XLVIII, MetLife Stadium, New York-New Jersey.
February 3
Waiver system begins for 2014. A 24-hour claiming period will be in effect through the Friday prior to the last regular season game (waivers requests made on Friday and Saturday of each week will expire at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the following Monday.) Players with at least four previous pension-credited seasons whom a club desires to terminate are not subject to the waiver system until after the trading deadline.
February 17
First day for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
February 19-25
Combine Timing and Testing, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana.
March 3
Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
March 8-11
Clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with, the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2013 Player Contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 11. However, a contract cannot be executed with a new club until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 11.
March 11
-Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must exercise options for 2014 on all players who have option clauses in their 2013 contracts.
-Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must submit Qualifying Offers to their Restricted Free Agents with expiring contracts and to whom they desire to retain a Right of First Refusal/Compensation.
-Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must submit a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2013 contracts and who have fewer than three Accrued Seasons of free agency credit.
-Top-51 Begins. All clubs must be under the 2014 Salary Cap prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time.
-All 2013 player contracts will expire at 4:00 p.m., New York time.
-The 2014 League Year and Free Agency period begin at 4:00 p.m., New York time.
-The first day of the 2014 League Year will end at 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 11. clubs will receive a Personnel Notice that will include all transactions submitted to the league office during the period between 4:00 p.m., New York time, and 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 11.
-Trading period for 2014 begins at 4:00 p.m., New York time, after expiration of all 2013 contracts.
March 23-26
Annual Meeting, Orlando, Florida.
April 7
Clubs that hired a new Head Coach after the end of the 2013 regular season may begin offseason workout programs.
April 21
Clubs with returning Head Coaches may begin offseason workout programs.
May 2
Deadline for Restricted Free Agents to sign Offer Sheets.
May 7
Deadline for Prior Club to exercise Right of First Refusal to Restricted Free Agents.
May 8-10
2014 NFL Draft, New York City, New York.
May 19-21
NFL Spring League Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia.
