It feels like the season ended just a few minutes ago, but here we are on the cusp of the new league year and all the action that NFL free agency brings to start it. For the Denver Broncos, if they want any of the top tier players in this free agent class then they will need to be active during this two-day window.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s review and break down how the 2026 free agency period works and the key information that drives it.<\/p>\n
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NFL Salary Cap<\/p>\n
The 2026 cap is set at a record $301.2 million per team<\/a>, which is up by $22 million from 2025 and the first time it has crossed the $300 million mark. Every team must be cap-compliant by the start of the new league year. Teams can create additional room through restructures, post-June 1 cut designations, and rolling over unused cap from the prior year. Dead money also factors heavily into a team\u2019s available spending power.<\/p>\n Denver is looking good on all fronts in this regard now that Russell Wilson is off the books. After giving Alex Palczewski an extension<\/a> and re-signing some key exclusive-rights free agents: first Tyler Badie and Jordan Jackson<\/a>, then followed quickly by Devon Key and Dondrea Tillman<\/a>, the Broncos still have around $21 million in salary cap<\/a> space. They could easily push that up towards $70 million through simple restructures, so there is no cause for concern whatsoever with Denver\u2019s salary cap situation.<\/p>\n Legal Tampering Period<\/p>\n The legal tampering window opens on Monday, March 9 at 10:00 AM MT and runs through Wednesday, March 11 at 2:00 PM MT. During this stretch, teams can negotiate contract terms with the agents of prospective free agents, but direct contact between team personnel and players is prohibited. Verbal agreements can be reached, though no contracts become official until free agency opens. Teams caught negotiating outside these boundaries risk fines or the loss of draft picks.<\/p>\n Start of the New League Year<\/p>\n The new league year begins on March 11 at 2:00 PM MT, and with it, free agency officially opens. All 2025 contracts expire at that moment, and free agents can officially sign with new teams. Deals agreed upon during the tampering window do not become official until signed at the start of the league year.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n With legal tampering, the start of the league year tends to be someone anticlimactic. We\u2019ll likely see a rapid move into the second wave of free agency not long after the initial flurry of top names getting deals. The Broncos should be active in all waves this year, especially with a championship window wide open for them.<\/p>\n Free Agent Designations<\/p>\n Legal tampering and the new league year will likely heavily involve unrestricted free agents, though there might be some rare moves happening with restricted free agents too. With the complexity of these designations, I figured a quick annual refresher is always good for us fans.<\/p>\n