With the Detroit Lions\u2019 2026 offseason upon us, it\u2019s time to look ahead to the upcoming months to see what\u2019s in store for the team and the NFL. There is no true downtime in the NFL, as the offseason is packed with important events, dates, and deadlines to keep teams active and the league in the news cycle.<\/p>\n
This will be one of the more important offseasons for the Lions, as they try to recapture the success that brought them to relevancy under coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes. Here are the important 2026 offseason dates for the Lions and the rest of the NFL.<\/p>\n
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January<\/p>\n
Jan. 5 \u2014 Teams can start re-signing their own players, CFL players<\/p>\n
On Day 1 of the offseason, teams can start signing players whose contracts expire at the start of the 2026 League New Year. We\u2019ve already seen the Lions sign three of their exclusive-rights free agents and nine players from their practice squad<\/a>. Those signings are likely to trickle in over the course of the next two months before the start of free agency.<\/p>\n Jan. 23-27 \u2014 East-West Shrine Bowl practices, game<\/p>\n One of the more popular college all-star games, the East-West Shrine Bowl will begin with practices on January 23 and culminate in the game on Tuesday, January 27 at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on NFL Network.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Jan. 27-31 \u2014 Senior Bowl<\/p>\n Just as the East-West Shrine Bowl concludes, the Senior Bowl\u2014another college football all-star game to highlight the 2026 NFL Draft class\u2014picks up. Three days of practices will lead up to the game on Saturday, January 31, at 2:30 p.m. ET. This will also be televised on NFL Network.<\/p>\n February <\/p>\n Feb. 3\u2014 2026 Pro Bowl games<\/p>\n The Lions had five players named to the 2026 Pro Bowl and five alternates. It\u2019s unclear when the skills competition will be televised in the week leading up to the game, but the flag football game will be on February 3 at 8 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n Feb. 5 \u2014 NFL Honors award show<\/p>\n At 9 p.m. ET, the NFL will air its annual awards show on NFL Network and NBC. At this time, finalists haven\u2019t been announced, but several Lions could be up for awards, including Aidan Hutchinson as a possible Comeback Player of the Year candidate and Jahmyr Gibbs as a potential long-shot at Offensive Player of the Year.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Feb. 17 \u2014 Franchise\/transition tag window opens<\/p>\n Teams can start designating their selections for the franchise or transition tag (difference explained here<\/a>). The Lions haven\u2019t used the franchise tag since 2018 (Ezekiel Ansah), and there are no real candidates to get it this year. You can see the projected cost of each tag here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Feb. 23 \u2013 March 2 \u2014 NFL Combine<\/a><\/p>\n While this event is about NFL Draft<\/a> prospects, it\u2019s also the time when the media meets with Lions general manager Brad Holmes, coach Dan Campbell, and any potential new coaching hires.<\/p>\n March<\/p>\n March 3 \u2014 Franchise\/transition tag deadline<\/p>\n If a team plans on using the franchise tag, this is the last day they can use that designation.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n March 9-11 \u2014 Free agency \u201clegal tampering period\u201d <\/p>\n Starting March 10 at Noon ET, teams can begin negotiating with agents of players who are set to become unrestricted free agents. Oftentimes, players will \u201cagree to terms\u201d with their new teams.<\/p>\n