ALLEN PARK — Life doesn’t stop moving in the NFL.
And even with the Detroit Lions starting the offseason earlier than expected this time around, the next five months are jam-packed with key dates and happenings. From the college football showcase events to the combine, owners meetings and free agency, use this post as a guide to what’s coming up next as the Lions look to get back on track in 2026.
See below for the complete NFL offseason calendar, which will be updated as dates change or are finalized:
Jan. 14: Deadline for underclassmen college football players to apply for special eligibility.
Jan. 23-27: The East-West Shrine Bowl practices and game are a popular college football all-star event for scouts and executives getting a closer look at prospects in Frisco, Texas.
Jan. 27-31: And right when the Shrine Bowl ends, the Senior Bowl begins in Mobile, Alabama. Three days of practices lead into another college football showcase event to kick off NFL draft season.
Feb. 3: The Pro Bowl Games will be held during Super Bowl week in the San Francisco area. As of now, Jack Campbell, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell and Aidan Hutchinson are participating in the reinvented Pro Bowl event for the Lions.
Feb. 8: Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Feb. 17: Teams can begin using the franchise or transition tag. The Lions haven’t used a franchise tag since 2018, and only once since 2012.
Feb. 23-March 2: The annual NFL scouting combine is held in Indianapolis. It’s a time for the Lions to get a closer look at hundreds of the top draft prospects. But it’s also an opportunity to speak with Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes, not to mention any new coaches or coordinators hired by the team.
March 3: The deadline for franchise or transition tags is due by 4 p.m.
March 9-11: Starting at noon on March 9 up until 3:59 p.m. on March 11, teams can contact and begin negotiations with pending free agents. This period is commonly called the “legal tampering period.” Players can’t officially sign, but this is when you’ll see reports of signings and plenty of movement.
March 11: The new league year begins at 4 p.m., meaning free agents can sign with new teams and the trading period for the year opens.
March 29-April 1: NFL owners meetings in Phoenix, Arizona. Owners and executives vote on new rules and discuss league happenings. Most importantly, it’s a chance for reporters to speak up close and personal with Holmes and Campbell again, and judging by recent availability, team president Rod Wood after free agency and ahead of the NFL draft.
April 15: This is the final day teams can host draft prospects for visits, interviews and physical examinations at their headquarters.
April 17: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.
April 20: Teams with returning head coaches can start offseason workout programs.
April 22: Deadline for teams to exercise the right of first refusal for restricted free agents. Also, the deadline to meet with draft prospects for interviews and physical examinations at any location.
April 23-25: The 2026 NFL draft in Pittsburgh. Detroit has the 17th overall selection in the first round.
May 1: Deadline to exercise fifth-year options for 2023 first-round picks. Jack Campbell and Jahmyr Gibbs are the two options here.
May 1-4 or May 8-11: Teams can hold their three-day rookie minicamps on one of those options.
May 11, May 13-17: The rookie development program begins, and the NFPLA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles goes for four days.
Early to mid-May: The NFL schedule release is not officially scheduled, but last year it happened on May 14, and that’s a pretty consistent target date for the rollout.
May 19-20: The lesser-attended annual spring league meetings in Orlando, where anything left over to vote on gets cleaned up.
Late May into early June: Last year, the Lions held Organized Team Activities on May 21-23, May 29-31 and June 10-12, and mandatory minicamp from June 4-6.
June 1: Deadline for the previous team to tender unsigned restricted free agents who received a qualifying offer.
June 15: Deadline for the team to withdraw qualifying offers to restricted free agents and still keep exclusive negotiating rights.
Mid-July: Teams can begin reporting for training camp. Detroit had the Hall of Fame game on the books last year, so that pushed everything to start earlier than usual. For an idea, rookies reported on July 16 and everyone else on July 19. This year’s starting dates should be a touch later.
The first preseason game was held on July 31st last year in Canton, Ohio.