What is the Difference Between Restricted and Unrestricted Free Agency in the NFL?

AFC Championship – New England Patriots v Kansas City Chiefs | Jamie Squire/GettyImages

After a thrilling Super Bowl in which the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime, NFL teams are now solely focused on the offseason. Free agency and the build-up to the 2024 NFL Draft are right around the corner as front offices around the league get all their ducks in a row.

With free agency right around the corner, we’ve decided to put together an explainer for everything you need to know about the process. We’ll start with a look at the difference between restricted and unrestricted free agency.

What is Restricted Free Agency?

Restricted free agency applies to players whose contracts have run out but who have played fewer than four seasons in the NFL. Restricted free agents are allowed to negotiate and sign with any NFL team, but their original team can offer one of several types of qualifying offers that come with the right of first refusal or draft pick compensation if the player goes elsewhere.

If that qualifying offer (known as a “tender”) is withdrawn or not offered, the player becomes an unrestricted free agent. With the right of first refusal offer, the original team has the right to match any contract signed by another team, but there is no compensation if the offer isn’t matched. There are several levels of compensation tender. The first is a first-round tender that comes as a one-year contract with a salary of $6.46 million. If a player with a first-round tender signs with another team, his original team receives a first-round pick as compensation. His original team will also have the right to match the offer. The list of other tenders include: a second-round tender, and and original-round tender (compensation would be a pick in the round the player was originally drafted in).

Restricted free agents can begin talking to other teams on March 11, and can sign new contracts on March 13.

What is Unrestricted Free Agency?

An unrestricted free agent is any player with four or more accrued NFL seasons and an expired contract. UFAs can negotiate and sign with any team, with no restrictions. They can negotiate with their current team at any time, but can’t be contacted by other teams until March 11. They then have two days to talk with teams but cannot come to terms on a contract until 4 p.m. ET on March 13.

Unrestricted free agents often travel to visit with multiple teams in a bit of a recruiting tour before making a decision who to sign with. During that time, their original team can still negotiate and attempt to re-sign them.

When Does NFL Free Agency Begin?

NFL players are allowed to begin talking to teams on March 11, but free agency doesn’t officially open until the start of the new league year. That happens on March 13 at 4 p.m. ET when all 2023 contracts expire. The window for teams to make trades with each other also opens at that time.

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