July
July 15: Deadline for a team to reach a multi-year contract agreement or extension with a player who received its franchise tag. If no agreement is reached, the player can receive only a one-year contract that cannot be extended until after the 2026 regular season.
Mid–July: Teams may begin training camp. Rookies may be required to report as many as seven days prior to the mandatory report date for veterans. A team’s training camp will be deemed to have officially opened on the designated reporting date for all rookies. Here is more information on the reporting rules for training camp from NFL Football Operations:
“Clubs are permitted to open preseason training camp for rookies (defined as a player who has never signed an NFL player contract with a club in a prior league year) beginning seven days prior to the club’s mandatory reporting date for veteran players.
Clubs may require first-year players (defined as a player who signed an NFL player contract with any club in a prior league year, but who does not have a pension-credited season) to report on the designated reporting date for all rookies, or at any time thereafter, including, but not limited to, the designated reporting date for veteran quarterbacks and injured players, or the designated reporting date for all other veteran players.
Veteran quarterbacks and “injured players” (as defined in CBA Article 21, Section 6) 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. At 4:00 p.m. ET, signing period ends for Transition Players with outstanding tenders. After this date and until 4:00 p.m. ET, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights.”
July 22: At 4 p.m. ET on this date — or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later — signing period ends for unrestricted free agents who received a UFA Tender by its 2025 club. After this date and until 4 p.m. ET, on the Tuesday after the 10th weekend of the regular season, the prior club has exclusive negotiating rights.