Even when the stadiums are quiet, the teams keep themselves busy when the players are in the offseason. It is time to grab the best players and start training for the upcoming season. Don’t be confused by the title of free agent–these players are far from free to teams in the league.
Free agents are players in the NFL whose contracts with their previous team have expired. These players are free to negotiate and sign with any team, but they do have to follow rules based on the number of seasons they have played in the NFL. While these players cannot sign a new formal contract until the new league year begins, there is a 52-hour window before the start of the league year called the “legal tampering period.” In 2026, legal tampering began on March 9 at 12pm EST and will conclude by Wednesday, March 11 at 4pm EST–signifying the beginning of the 2026-2027 NFL league year.
Legal tampering does not allow players to formally sign a new contract, but it allows teams to speak with agents regarding the player they are attempting to sign. They can negotiate with the unrestricted free agents within the league, players who have completed at least four accrued seasons in the NFL and have no restrictions regarding signing to a new team. Deals with free agents can be agreed upon during this time via communication with the player’s agent, as no communication can be made directly with the player until the start of the new league year. However, new to this year, teams are allowed to have only one hour-long phone call with the player themself, limiting the teams to only being able to hold these conversations with up to five free agents.
Though these are only agreements, not formally signed, in-place deals and contracts, the media still reports which free agents can stray away from the “free” name. The busy day was yesterday, as teams raced to negotiate with their top picks before another organization had the chance to. A majority of the top players who were free agents exiting the last season have found their new teams, causing buzz all over the NFL. Some of the notable mentions for top free agents to reach an agreement include Jaelan Phillips, Tyler Linderbaum, and Mike Evans.
Jaelan Phillips is an edge rusher/defender who previously played for the Philadelphia Eagles. An hour into the legal tampering period, he reached a four-year $120 million agreement with the Carolina Panthers. He was one of the top defenders among this year’s free agent picks, having the Panthers hopeful his Carolina career will be successful. Tyler Linderbaum is a center for the Baltimore Ravens, where he has started in all regular-season games in three of the four seasons he played there. Though the Washington Commanders were buzzing about signing him once his free agency was announced, the Las Vegas Raiders swooped in with a three-year $81 million contract and made an agreement. Linderbaum is not only currently considered to be one of the NFL’s best centers, but with this agreement, he will be the top-earning center in the league. Mike Evans is a wide receiver who has spent 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he is known as a legend and the most accomplished offensive player in the team’s history. With a goal to succeed elsewhere, he has agreed upon a three-year $60.4 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers. Evans desired a new challenge and a new opportunity to finish his career, though his skills are still top-notch in the league.
As the legal tampering period continues and once the new league year officially starts, we will continue to see more agreements being made. Tender-restricted players usually need to sign a formal contract by either April 17, 2026, or July 22, 2026, while unrestricted players with no tenders (year-long qualifying contract offers) can technically sign at any point. When the clock strikes four on Wednesday evening, the agreements made will most likely be signed officially, and the rest of the free agents will be racing for a team to call home before that first ball is kicked off.
