The arrival of the offseason doesn’t mean the NFL takes time off.
A Super Bowl champion was crowned Sunday and the draft is still two months away, but the league’s calendar is far from empty. In the days ahead, teams have free agents to sign, potential draft picks to evaluate and maybe some rule changes to consider.
The new league year starts in less than a month, so here is a look at key dates to remember:
Feb. 26-March 1
The NFL Scouting Combine returns to Indianapolis, the city that has hosted the predraft event every year since 1987. The annual gathering draws NFL coaches and scouts to Lucas Oil Stadium and the nearby Indiana Convention Center.
Last year, the invitation-only workouts featured 329 college prospects. The event also draws front office executives, coaches, player evaluators and medical personnel from all 32 franchises.
March 3
Teams face a 4 p.m. deadline to apply a franchise or transition tag to pending free agents. The tags allow a team to keep a player under a one-year, fully guaranteed contract with a salary based on the average of the top-paid players at a position.
The Steelers haven’t tagged a player since linebacker Bud Dupree in 2020. Famously, running back Le’Veon Bell sat out the 2018 season rather than play with a franchise tag.
A year ago, Bengals receiver Tee Higgins and Chiefs guard Trey Smith were the only players tagged. ESPN has report that former Steelers receiver George Pickens was expected to be tagged by the Cowboys this offseason.
March 9
The NFL’s so-called “legal tampering period” starts at noon, allowing teams to begin contract negotiations with soon-to-be unrestricted free agents.
This year’s list of available players includes Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III, the MVP of Super Bowl LX. Among the other top free agents are Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd, Colts quarterback Daniel Jones, Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum.
March 11
The NFL officially kicks off a new league year at 4 p.m. It’s a significant milestone in several ways; most notably, it signals the start of the signing period for free agents. The Steelers’ list of free agents includes quarterback Aaron Rodgers and running back Kenneth Gainwell, among others.
March 29-April 1
Commissioner Roger Goodell, team owners and others from around the NFL meet in Phoenix for the Annual League Meeting. Among the league business typically on the agenda, any rule changes proposed by the NFL Competition Committee are considered at the meeting.
The league this year added Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and Broncos coach Sean Payton to the nine-person committee. They replaced former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and ex-Dolphins GM Chris Grier.
April 6
Teams that have hired a new head coach (such as the Steelers) can begin offseason workouts two weeks earlier than franchises with returning coaches.
The standard start date is April 20.
April 23-25
The 2026 NFL Draft descends on the North Shore as Pittsburgh hosts the marquee event for the first time. The draft is projected to draw more than a half-million fans to the city.
The NFL has moved the draft around the country since 2015, after it ended a five-decade stay in New York. The event was in Green Bay last year. Both Philadelphia (2017) and Cleveland (2021) had turns as host in recent years.