NFL 2025 Offseason Kicks Off: Franchise Tags, Salary Cap Moves, and Key Contract Decisions Reshape Team Rosters

As the 2025 NFL offseason is underway, here are the key events and updates that football fans need to know:

## New League Year and Trade Negotiations
The 2025 NFL offseason officially began on March 12 at 4 p.m. ET, marking the start of the new league year. This allows teams to finalize any negotiated contracts or trades that were agreed upon earlier. Prior to this, teams were permitted to discuss and agree to trades, but those involving players on existing contracts could not be finalized until the league year started[1][3].

## Scouting Combine
From February 24 to March 3, the NFL Scouting Combine took place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. This event saw top college football prospects participating in workouts and interviews with NFL teams in preparation for the upcoming draft[1].

## Franchise Tag Deadline
The deadline for teams to apply the franchise or transition tag to eligible players was March 4 at 4 p.m. ET. Teams that have tagged players, such as the Kansas City Chiefs with Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith, must now factor the tag's financial implications into their salary cap planning. The non-exclusive franchise tag values for each position have been set, with figures ranging from $6.31 million for kickers/punters to $40.24 million for quarterbacks[1][5].

## Free Agent Negotiating Period
Starting March 10 at 12 p.m. ET, NFL teams can contact and negotiate potential contracts with the certified agents of players with expiring contracts. While agreements can be reached in principle, they cannot be officially signed until the start of the new league year on March 12[1][3].

## Salary Cap and Contract Considerations
The NFL has set the 2025 salary cap at $279.2 million, which will significantly influence teams' financial decisions. This cap figure affects contract restructures, pay cuts, and the use of franchise and transition tags. Teams like the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles have key contract decisions to make regarding players such as Spencer Brown, Dawson Knox, and several of the Eagles' key players[3][5].

## Notable Contract Decisions
Several teams face critical contract decisions:
- The Cincinnati Bengals must decide on exercising an option for quarterback Joe Burrow's 2029 contract year by March 12.
- The Los Angeles Chargers have until March 12 to pick up an option on quarterback Justin Herbert's 2029 contract year.
- The Philadelphia Eagles have options to exercise for players like A.J. Brown, Landon Dickerson, Jordan Mailata, and DeVonta Smith, each requiring significant payments to reduce their 2025 base salaries[3].

## Fan Sentiment and League Criticism
Some fans have expressed dissatisfaction with the NFL, feeling that the league has become more focused on celebrity appearances and less on the game itself. Concerns include the impact of new rules on the physicality of the game and the perception that officiating decisions can significantly influence game outcomes. This has led some fans to turn their attention to college football, which they see as a more authentic and less commercialized version of the sport[2][4].

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI