NFL 2023 offseason dates: Draft, free agency and more key dates

Feb 13, 2023, 12:20 PM | Updated: Feb 14, 2023, 8:30 am

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 03: A detailed view of the NFL logo is seen at SoFi Stadium during the game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams on October 03, 2021 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

(Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

BY AMILIANO FRAGOSO

San Francisco 49ers Beat Writer

After almost six months of nonstop football, the 2022 NFL season has officially come to an end.

Concluding with quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs lifting the Lombardi trophy, the NFL season is sadly over. Now with all 30 teams and players getting some much-deserved time off, a new period of football is upon us: The 2023 offseason.

With football games on hiatus until August, the front office work starts now, with teams about to enter the franchise tag period. Then, the NFL combine is next heading into the month of March. After that free agency starts on the 15th and so on, so on.

Upcoming NFL Dates
▪️ Waiver Period: 2/13
▪️ Tag Window: 2/21 – 3/7
▪️ Combine: 2/28 – 3/6
▪️ UFA Negotiations: 3/13 – 3/15
▪️ League Year Start: 3/15 4PM ET
▪️ Restricted Offer Sheets Due: 4/21
▪️ Restricted Tenders Due: 4/26
▪️ Draft: 4/27 – 4/29
▪️ 5th-Yr Option Decisions: 5/1

— Spotrac (@spotrac) February 13, 2023

A lot of changes are expected across the league, including in Northern California with the San Francisco 49ers.

Coming off an NFC Championship berth, the Red & Gold have numerous questions to solve before the season starts. The first of them being who starts at quarterback.

With Brock Purdy scheduled for elbow surgery later this month, former first-round pick Trey Lance will have his chance to re-take the starting QB spot for San Francisco this summer.

Lance is coming off an injury of his own, suffering a fractured ankle in Week 2 that forced him to miss the rest of the season. Expected to be fully cleared for football activities by the start of March, the former third-overall pick is looking forward to the opportunity to compete over the next few months.

“I’m excited to just get on the field and compete. That’s all I want an opportunity to do,” Lance said on The Rich Eisen Show last week.

The 49ers as a team will also have to get creative with roster moves this off-season.

Projected to have $13-$17 million in cap space, San Francisco may need to see some players depart, in order to bolster the overall depth of the organization. The 49ers are also without many early-round draft picks, using them in previous trades to acquire Lance and running back Christian McCaffrey.

Teams without a first-round pick in 2023 draft:#49ers
Broncos
Rams
Browns
Dolphins

Teams without a first- or second-round pick in 2023 draft:
49ers
Broncos

— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) February 13, 2023