Way back in January, in the week leading up to the Super Bowl, we took a look ahead at many of the important offseason dates on the NFL calendar, including the opening of free agency and draft weekend. However, the last of those key dates came and went in July, so now that training camps and the preseason are in full swing, it’s time to revisit the NFL calendar and check out the most crucial remaining dates in 2014.
Here’s a breakdown of several of the key dates to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months:
August 26: Teams must reduce their 90-man rosters to 75 players by 3:00pm central time.
August 27: Teams trying out players on this date and for the rest of the season must report those workouts to the commissioner’s office.
August 30: Teams must reduce their 75-man rosters to 53 players by 3:00pm central time. Any players on the active/PUP or active/non-football injury or illness lists may be moved to the reserve versions of those lists.
August 31: Claiming period for players waived during final roster cuts ends at 11:00am central time. After that point, teams may establish a practice squad of 10 players.
September 2: After 3:00pm central time, teams are permitted to place one player on the injured reserve list with the designation to return.
September 3: After 3:00pm central time, all contracts for each team must fit under the salary cap (top-51 rule expires at 11:00pm central time).
September 23: Waiver priority order adjusted to become based on the reverse order of 2014’s standings.
October 7-8: Fall league meetings in New York City.
October 14: Players who are on the reserve/PUP and reserve/NFI lists are allowed to begin practicing for the next 21 days. Players must be activated or placed on injured reserve by 3:00pm central time on the day following the expiration of that 21-day window.
October 28: Trade deadline at 3:00pm central time.
October 29: All released players subject to waivers for rest of regular season and postseason.
December 27: By 3:00pm central time, teams must provide written notice of the amount of unused 2014 salary cap space to be rolled over to the 2015 cap.
December 29: Teams may begin signing players to reserve/futures contracts for the 2015 season. Teams may also begin exercising fifth-year options on 2012 first-round picks and signing 2012 draftees to contract extensions.
NFL.com and The Phinsider were used in the creation of this post.