2024 RULES: Free Agency (playoffs/futures)

[Goodell]

PLAYOFF FREE AGENCY:
We close free agency at the end of the regular season. We mostly do that so that teams whose season is over and might not be visiting the site as much any more since not in the playoffs don't get all their practice squad guys signed away from them while they aren't looking to match. But there is a point about what if a playoff team has their kicker get hurt in reality or something and they're left without a kicker and without a way to sign a replacement. I hope we'll upgrade our practice squad to active roster options in the new season, but even then psquads have limits and kind of unrealistic for all playoffs teams to make sure they have a backup punter, kicker, QB, positional depth or other critical positions in case of post-season injuries. In reality, those NFL teams who had a punter hurt in the playoffs could sign a replacement free agent punter if needed. I'm not sure, but don't recall that practice squad guys on teams out of the playoffs being available for playoff teams to sign, although it's kind of a rare situation that doesn't come up much to notice.

An option to keep free agency open for injury replacements (or whatever) plus protect practice squad guys from being stolen while they aren't looking might be to not end free agency until the Super Bowl ends, but once the regular season is over only players without any team affiliation (not on anyone else's practice squad) could be signed. So only street free agents could be signed after the regular season. I think it's probably possible to filter out practice squad guys from free agency lists after week 18 or block them from being offered a deal on the bid page.

One worry with keeping free agency open during the playoffs could be manipulation with some playoff team's buddy cutting a quality veteran so he'd be on the market with less competition with fewer teams looking after the regular season to maybe try to sneak a good player to a playoff team. It'd kind of be unrealistic chaos if right before the divisional round playoffs an all-star RB is cut because he has a ballooning salary next season and suddenly on the market in the middle of the playoffs with free agency still open. We wouldn't really want that. Potential ways around that might be not allowing cuts after the regular season ends or filter out any players with 75 or higher grades with the realistic reason that if they were cut loose at the end of the season they want to hit peak free agency with all teams bidding later in the off-season.

Or if only keeping free agency open for playoff injuries, maybe have it really technically closed but allow manually entered transactions by the league office in rare cases where a playoff injury happens like a kicker/punter hurt.

FUTURES CONTRACTS / PRACTICE SQUAD VETS:
You may notice news stories after the regular season about NFL teams signing some guys to futures contracts for backup type guys who may go into training camp with the team ahead. I get asked sometimes why don't we do that? We sort of do. Our version is that we allow teams to have more affiliation with their practice squad guys once the season ends. They don't just become free agents out on the street, but they keep the home team association and have unlimited bidding rights to be easier for a home team to retain their young psquad guys heading into their off-season.

When the regular season ends, teams can still add players to practice squad if room to do so kind of like end of the regular season futures contracts for young players they have interest in being on their expanded roster in the off-season.

Veterans being eligible for practice squads kind of threw a wrench into that, if a team cuts a veteran after the season ends in preparation for off-season finances even though he couldn't be signed as free agency was off he could still be picked up to practice squad how things were as vets eligible for that now that weren't before.

One approach might be to still allow vets on psquads like reality but still keep the distinction for young players less than 4 years experience that used to be the only ones who could be psquad and restrict veterans from being added to psquad after the season only young players like on futures contracts.

[vikingfan]

I will request again. Eliminate 24 hour rule once season begins. Street free agents have had enough time to sign with any team. 99% will sign immediately with first offer they receive.

[Goodell]

I will request again. Eliminate 24 hour rule once season begins. Street free agents have had enough time to sign with any team. 99% will sign immediately with first offer they receive.

Definitely something to think about, as there's a point to that for sure. The tricky thing is you have to build free agency to work two different ways at two different times instead of just always working the same way perhaps. And if a lesser-known player has a big NFL game it's just a matter of race to the site to pick them up immediately first is the winner instead of everyone getting a chance to bid for better or worse. But would be interesting to see how most feel there.

[larry linke]

I have no problem with the 24 hour rule for street free agents. I would like to see something worked out for signing a guy off your own practice squad with no delay. You find out on Saturday after 1:00 your kicker isnt playing and their isnt time to replace him.

On another note I would like to see all depth charts locked at 1:00 on Sunday. Why should a GM get penalized because his guys play early games and you have to make a choice where another GM could potentially wait until Monday night to declare.

Larry

[Goodell]

CONCLUSION: Per popular support, we'll freeze transactions after the regular season (no free agency, no waivers, no nothing) other than teams making internal moves to activate someone from their own practice squad if needed in the playoffs.