NFL 2019-20 key dates

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Mid-July Clubs are permitted to open preseason training camp for rookies and first-year players beginning seven days prior to the club’s earliest permissible mandatory reporting date for veteran players.
Veteran players (defined as a player with at least one pension-credited season) other than quarterbacks or “injured players” (as defined in CBA Article 21, Section 6) may report to a club’s preseason training camp no earlier than 15 days prior to the club’s first scheduled preseason game or July 15, whichever is later.
Veteran quarterbacks and injured players may be required to report to the club’s preseason training camp no earlier than five days immediately prior to the mandatory reporting date for all other veteran players, provided the club has already opened (or simultaneously opens) its official preseason training camp for all rookies and first-year players
A three-day acclimation period will apply to players who are on a club’s roster up to and including the mandatory veteran reporting date. Players who rejoin the roster after that date may practice (including wearing pads) and play immediately after passing a physical.
July 22 At 4:00 p.m., New York time, signing period ends for Transition Players with outstanding tenders. After this date and until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights.
July 22* At 4:00 p.m., New York time, signing period ends for unrestricted free agents to whom a “May 7 Tender” was made by prior club. After this date and until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights.
*or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later.
AUGUST
Aug. 1 Hall of Fame Game, Atlanta vs. Denver, Canton, Ohio.
Aug. 1-4 Hall of Fame Weekend, Canton, Ohio.
Aug. 6 Deadline for players under contract to report to their clubs to earn an accrued season for free agency.
If a drafted rookie has not signed with his club by this date, he cannot be traded to any other club in 2019 and may sign a player contract only with the drafting club until the day of the Draft in the 2020 League Year.
Aug. 8-9 First Preseason Weekend.
Aug. 15-19 Second Preseason Weekend.
Aug. 22-25 Third Preseason Weekend.
Aug. 29 Final Preseason Games.
Aug. 31 Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must reduce rosters to a maximum of 53 players on the Active/Inactive List.
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/NonFootball Injury or Illness, whichever is applicable; request waivers; terminate contract; trade contract; or continue to count the player on the Active List.
SEPTEMBER
Sept. 1 Claiming period for players placed on waivers at the final roster reduction will expire at 12:00 noon, New York time.
Upon receipt of the Personnel Notice at approximately 1:00 p.m., New York time, clubs may establish a Practice Squad of 10 players (clubs participating in the International Player Development Program may sign one additional international player to a Practice Player Contract.) No club, including the player’s prior club, will be permitted to sign a player to a Practice Player Contract until all clubs have received simultaneous notification via the above Personnel Notice that such player’s prior NFL player contract has been terminated via the waiver system.
Sept. 2-7 In accordance with the Personnel (Injury) Report Policy, each club is required to file a Practice Report with the NFL Communications department by 4:00 p.m., New York time, (or as soon as possible after the completion of practice) every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for a regular season Sunday game; Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for a Thursday game; Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for a Monday game; and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for a Saturday game.
Each club must also file a weekly regular season Game Status Report with the NFL Communications department by 4:00 p.m., New York time (or as soon as possible after the completion of practice) on Wednesday for a Thursday game, Friday for a Sunday game, Saturday for a Monday game, and Thursday for a Saturday game. An update must be reported if there is any change in a player’s condition after the initial Game Status Report is filed. At 12:00 a.m., New York time, the Top 51 Rule expires for all NFL clubs.
Sept. 5, 8-9 Regular Season Week 1.
Sept. 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.
OCTOBER
Oct. 6 NFL London Series, Chicago Bears vs. Oakland Raiders, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Oct. 13 NFL London Series, Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Mid-Oct. Beginning on the sixth calendar day prior to a club’s seventh regular season game (including any bye week) 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, provided that no player may be activated to participate in a Week 6 game.
At any time after six weeks have elapsed since a player was placed on Reserve/Injured or Reserve/Non-Football Injury/Illness, each club is permitted to designate two players for return from either list to the club’s 53-player Active/Inactive List.
A player who is “Designated For Return” must have suffered a major football-related injury or non-football-related injury or illness after reporting to training camp and passing his preseason physical examination and must have been placed on the applicable Reserve List after 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the day after the final roster reduction.
A player whom the club wishes to designate for return is permitted to return to practice for a period not to exceed 21 days. The club is required to notify the League office that the player has been “Designated For Return” on the first day the player begins to practice. The player cannot be returned to the Active/Inactive List until eight weeks have elapsed since the date he was placed on Reserve.
Oct. 15-16 Fall League Meeting, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Oct. 27 NFL London Series, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Los Angeles Rams, Wembley Stadium.
Oct. 29 All trading ends for 2019 at 4:00 p.m., New York time.
Oct. 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
Nov. 3 NFL London Series, Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, Wembley Stadium
Nov. 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 2019.
Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for clubs to sign their unrestricted free agents to whom the “May 7 Tender” was made. If still unsigned after this date, such players are prohibited from playing in the NFL in 2019.
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 2019.
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 the NFL in 2019.
Nov. 18 NFL Mexico Series, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Estadio Azteca.
DECEMBER
Dec. 12 League Meeting, Las Colinas, Texas.
Dec. 29 Week 17.
Dec. 30 Earliest permissible date for clubs to renegotiate or extend the rookie contract of a drafted rookie who was selected in any round of the 2017 NFL Draft or any undrafted rookie signed in 2018. 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 2017 NFL Draft. To exercise the option, the club must give written notice to the player on or after December 30, 2019, but prior to May 5, 2020.
2020
JANUARY
Jan. 4-5 Wild Card Playoffs.
Jan. 5 Assistant coaches under contract to playoff clubs that have byes in Wild Card weekend may be interviewed for head coaching positions through the conclusion of the Wild Card games.
Jan. 11-12 Divisional Playoffs.
Jan. 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.
Jan. 18 East-West Shrine Game, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida.
Jan. 19 AFC and NFC Championship Games.
Jan. 20 Deadline for college players who are underclassmen to apply for Special Eligibility. A list of underclassmen who have been approved for entry into the 2020 College Draft will be sent to clubs on January 24.
Jan. 25 Senior Bowl, Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama.
Jan. 26 NFL Pro Bowl.
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.
Feb. 2 Super Bowl LIV, Hard Rock Stadium, South Florida.
Feb. 24-March 2 NFL Scouting Combine, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Feb. 25 First day for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
MARCH
March 10 Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
March 16-18 During the period beginning at 12:00 noon, New York time, on March 16 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 18, 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 2019 Player Contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 18.
During the above two-day negotiating period, a prospective UFA who is not represented by an NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor is permitted to communicate directly with a new club’s front office officials (excluding the head coach and other members of the club’s coaching staff) regarding contract negotiations.
No prospective Unrestricted Free Agent is permitted to execute a contract with a new club until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 18.
March 18 The 2020 League Year and Free Agency period begin at 4:00 p.m., New York time.
The first day of the 2020 League Year will end at 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 18. 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 18.
Trading period for 2020 begins at 4:00 p.m., New York time, after expiration of all 2019 contracts.
March 29-April 1 Annual League Meeting, Palm Beach, Florida.
April 6 Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2019 regular season may begin offseason workout programs.
April 17 Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets
April 20 Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs.
April 22 Deadline for prior club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents.
April 23-25 NFL Draft, Las Vegas, Nevada.
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