Way back in December, with the 2014 NFL season winding down, we took a look ahead at many of the important offseason dates on the league’s calendar, including the opening of free agency and draft weekend. However, the last of those key dates came will come and go by the end of July, so with training camps and the preseason nearing, it’s time to revisit the NFL calendar and check out the most crucial remaining dates in 2015.
Via an official announcement from the league, here’s a breakdown of several of the key dates we’ll be keeping an eye on at PFR in the coming weeks and months:
August 11: Summer league meeting in Schaumburg, Illinois to discuss Los Angeles situation.
September 1: Teams must reduce their 90-man rosters to 75 players by 3:00pm central time.
September 5: 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.
September 6: Claiming period for players waived during final roster cuts ends at 11:00am central time. After that time, teams may establish a practice squad of 10 players. After 3:00pm central time, teams are permitted to place one player on the injured reserve list with the designation to return.
September 9: 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 29: Waiver priority order adjusted to become based on the reverse order of 2014’s standings.
October 6-7: Fall league meetings in New York City.
October 16: Players who are on the reserve/PUP and reserve/NFI lists are allowed to begin practicing for a period not to exceed 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.
November 3: Trade deadline at 3:00pm central time.
November 4: All released players subject to waivers for rest of regular season and postseason.
November 17: Unsigned franchise players and draft picks must sign with their respective teams by 3:00pm central time in order to play in the NFL in 2015.
November 24: Players who are on the reserve/PUP and reserve/NFI lists who have not begun practicing are no longer eligible to be activated after 3:00pm central time.