Thanks to their 27-19 win over the Saints on Sunday, the Bucs aren’t heading into the 2025 NFL offseason just yet. But 18 teams already are, and six more teams will join them following Super Wild Card Weekend.

Even if Tampa Bay isn’t one of them and advances to the NFC Divisional Round for the second straight year and the third time in the last four years, there are certainly plenty of people behind the scenes who have one eye toward offseason work as they look to help the Bucs run it back in 2025 and win the NFC South for a fifth consecutive season and extend their playoff streak to six years.

Through that lens, here are some important NFL offseason dates to know, including college all-star games, the start of the NFL league year, the NFL Draft and more:

2025 NFL Offseason Important Dates To Know

January

Jan. 6 – Teams can begin signing free agent players for the 2025, including CFL players

Former Tulane & Current Bucs QB Michael Pratt – Photo by: USA Today

Jan. 6 – Earliest permissible date for teams to renegotiate or extend the rookie contracts of players drafted in 2022 or signed as undrafted rookies in 2023

Jan. 6 – Teams can exercise fifth-year options for players selected in the first round of the 2022 Draft

Jan. 8 – Rosters are frozen at 4:00 p.m. ET for teams participating in the playoffs (with limited exceptions)

Mid-January (Tentative) – Deadline for underclassmen college players to apply for special eligibility

Jan. 20 – College Football Playoff National Championship Game (Atlanta, GA)

Jan. 28-30 – Senior Bowl Practices (Mobile, AL)

Jan. 30 – East-West Shrine Bowl (Arlington, TX)

February

Feb. 1 – Senior Bowl (Mobile, AL)

Feb. 2 – Pro Bowl Games (Orlando, FL)

Bucs OL Graham Barton – Photo by: USA Today

Feb. 18 – First day for teams to designate players for a franchise or transition tag

Feb. 24-March 3 – NFL Scouting Combine (Indianapolis, IN)

March

March 3 – Final day of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine

March 4 – Deadline for teams to designate players for a franchise or transition tag (4:00 p.m. ET)

March 10-12 – Negotiating period runs from Noon ET on March 10 through 3:59:59 ET on March 12. Teams are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will be unrestricted free agents at 4:00 p.m. ET on March 12

March 12 – The 2025 NFL League Year and free agency begin at 4:00 p.m. ET, which marks the official beginning of free agency and the trading period

March 30-April 2 – Annual League Meeting (Palm Beach, FL)

April

April 7 – Teams that hired new head coaches after the 2024 season can begin offseason workout programs

April 16 – Deadline for teams to time, test, visit, interview, or complete physicals with draft-eligible players at their team facilities

April 18 – Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets

Bucs GM Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles – Photo courtesy of the Buccaneers

April 21 – Teams with returning head coaches can begin offseason workout programs

April 23 – Deadline for prior teams to exercise the first right of refusal to restricted free agents who signed offer sheets

April 23 – Deadline for teams to time, test, visit, interview (including video and phone calls) or complete physicals with draft-eligible players at any location

April 24-26 – 2025 NFL Draft (Green Bay, WI)

May

May 1 – Deadline for teams to exercise fifth-year options for players drafted in the first round of the 2022 Draft

May 2-5 or May 9-12 – Teams may hold one three-day post-draft rookie mini camp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday

May 12 – Rookie football development programs begin

May 14 – NFLPA Rookie Premiere (Los Angeles, CA)

June

June 1 – Deadline for prior teams to send “June 1 Tender” to unsigned restricted free agents who received qualifying offers for a right of first refusal only in order for the player to be subject to the CBA’s “June 15 Tender” provision

Bucs GM Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

June 15 – Deadline for teams to withdraw higher qualifying offers to restricted free agents and retain exclusive negotiation rights by substituting lower “June 15 tender” of one-year contract at 110% of that player’s prior-year Paragraph 5 Salary

Late June – Rookie Readiness Programs held by individual teams

July

July 15 – Deadline for any team that designated a franchise player to sign that player to a multi-year deal or extension.

Mid-July – Teams can open preseason training camp for rookies seven days before the team’s mandatory report date for veteran players

July 21 – Signing period ends for transition players with outstanding tenders at 4:00 p.m. ET

Pewter Report Has You Covered Throughout The 2025 NFL Offseason

Throughout the Bucs’ playoff run and into the 2025 NFL offseason, Pewter Report will have you covered. From coverage of the team’s playoff run and being on site in Mobile, Alabama, for Senior Bowl week later this month to on-site coverage from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, continuous coverage of Bucs free agency and more draft insight all the way through NFL Draft weekend, Pewter Report is your No. 1 source for all things Bucs.

General manager Jason Licht and his staff will look to compile yet another stellar draft class, and as they complete their evaluations throughout draft season from game tape and college all-star games to meetings and interviews, Pewter Report will be doing the same. With our draft prospect profiles and Bucs Best Bets, you’ll have the best insight into draft season in Tampa Bay.

Be sure to follow us on all of our social media channels throughout the NFL offseason for the best Bucs coverage:

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