The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league comprised of 32 clubs split evenly between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC).
The National Football League (NFL) is one of the main professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, as well as the top level of professional American football in the globe.
When does NFL free agency start in 2023?
The 2023 NFL offseason has begun. With the start of the new league year, there is a lot of activity in the NFL.
While many free agents have already signed to new contracts with new organizations, many others are still looking for a new home.
Free agency in the NFL began immediately when the new league year begins on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, at 4 p.m. ET.
Teams were permitted to talk with free agents during the two-day permissible tampering period before free agency began.
Clubs may contact and negotiate with players who were slated to become unrestricted free agents beginning Monday, March 13, 2023, at 12 p.m. EST. Players and clubs can reach agreements, but they cannot be legally signed until the next league year begins.
The salary cap for the 2023 season is set at $224.8 million, a nearly $20 million increase over the previous season.
The NFL salary cap is complicated. There are several loopholes that clubs may utilize to free cap space, including unguaranteed money, bonuses, incentives, and void years.
The top-51 rule states that from the start of the new league year until the first week of the regular season, only the 51 most costly contracts count towards a team’s wage cap.
The regulation is intended to accommodate the 90-man offseason roster before preseason cuts.
As of March 29, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET, here’s a look at the five teams with the most top-51 salary cap space (per Spotrac):
- Chicago Bears: $38,542,175
- Carolina Panthers: $27,981,157
- Detroit Lions: $24,817,872
- Green Bay Packers: $22,854,860
- Houston Texans: $22,562,866
