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Officially, NFL free agents can’t sign a contract with a new team until the start of the new league year on March 15, 2023, at 4:00 PM EST.
It is against league rules for players to talk to other teams about a contract while they are still under contract with their current team. However, the NFL allows impending unrestricted free agents to begin negotiating with other teams two days before the official start of free agency.
So what is allowed and what is considered tampering? Let's take a look!
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What Is Legal Tampering?
This process is known as the "legal tampering period," or as the NFL calls it, “the negotiating period for prospective unrestricted free agents.” You will also hear it referred to as the "negotiating window" or the "negotiation period," but let's be honest, those names are no fun.
The name comes from the violation of tampering, which is when teams discuss contract terms with a signed player. Technically, the impending free agent is still under contract for another two days, however, teams are legally allowed to tamper during this window, hence, legal tampering.
When Does Legal Tampering Start?
At 12:00 PM on March 13, 2023, impending unrestricted free agents are allowed to negotiate and agree to full contractual terms with a new team. The specific provisions of the legal tampering period in the CBA are that all teams have the right to negotiate all aspects of an NFL player contract with the certified agent of an impending unrestricted free agent.
When it comes down to it, player contracts are negotiated in full and accepted verbally, but the player can’t sign the contract and make their new team official until the official start of free agency at 4:00 PM on March 15th. The fireworks start immediately when the legal tampering period opens, and more times than not is more exciting than the official start of free agency.
Restrictions
Although players are allowed to negotiate new contracts with prospective teams, there are a few restrictions during the legal tampering period. First, it is only available to unrestricted free agents. Restricted free agents must wait until the official start of free agency to begin negotiating potential offer sheets with other teams (Discussed fully in the next article of this series).
Second, teams are not allowed to visit or speak with the players directly, they must negotiate with the players’ certified agents only. Players who represent themselves are not allowed to negotiate during the legal tampering period. Lastly, players, agents, and teams are not allowed to make travel arrangements for visits on March 15th.
Technically, they must wait until free agency begins before making travel plans. Any violation of these rules can result in a penalty for conduct detrimental to the league as well as a violation of the NFL’s anti-tampering policy. This can result in substantial fines and even the loss of future draft picks if the offenses committed are egregious.
The legal tampering period is one of the most exciting times of the NFL offseason and I for one can't wait for the mayhem to ensue. There are not the usual high-profile free agents in this cycle, but if the NFL has taught us anything over the years, there will be plenty of surprises.
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