Important NFL offseason dates to keep tabs on for the Cardinals
Jan 19, 2025, 7:10 AM | Updated: Jan 27, 2025, 9:29 am

Head coach Jonathan Gannon of the Arizona Cardinals looks on during a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on October 06, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The offseason is here for the Arizona Cardinals and the rest of the teams not in the playoff picture.
And boy is there a lot to cover between now and the start of the 2025 regular season.
A look at the important dates coming up this offseason and how they impact the Cardinals:
Important NFL offseason dates for the Arizona Cardinals
January 30
The East-West Shrine Bowl takes place in Mobile, Alabama.
The Cardinals had some influence during the week of the game with pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach Drew Terrell serving as the East’s offensive coordinator.
Pass game specialist Spencer Whipple coached wide receivers on the West side.
The potential is there for the duo or other Cardinals coaches to head there for another round of work, too.
February 1
The Senior Bowl gets underway in Mobile, Alabama.
Last year, Darius Robinson turned heads at the event before the Cardinals nabbed the defensive lineman with the No. 27 overall pick.
You know they took a look at that tape in their evaluation.
February 2
The 2025 Pro Bowl Games kickoff in Orlando, Florida.
Cardinals fans will get the chance to see both safety Budda Baker and tight end Trey McBride partake in the games.
It’ll mark Baker’s seventh and McBride’s first.
February 18
Teams can start designating franchise or transition players.
The Cardinals likely won’t have to utilize the franchise tag this time around.
February 24-March 3
The NFL Scouting Combine takes place in Indianapolis.
General manager Monti Ossenfort, head coach Jonathan Gannon and other members of the Cardinals will be in attendance conducting interviews and watching drills.
March 4
The deadline to designate franchise or transition players.
March 10-12
Starting at 10 a.m. MST, the Cardinals and other NFL teams can begin negotiating with agents of players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.
Arizona has plenty of unrestricted free agents hitting the market this offseason, including MIKE backer Kyzir White, offensive lineman Evan Brown, defensive lineman L.J. Collier and pass rusher Baron Browning.
March 12
The new league year kicks off at 2 p.m. MST.
Translation: Free agency and the trading period begins.
March 30-April 2
The annual league meeting takes place in Palm Beach, Florida.
April 16
The deadline for Arizona and other clubs to meet, test, hold physicals or interview draft-eligible players at their facility.
April 18
The deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.
The big ones to watch here for Arizona are special teams ace Joey Blount, linebacker Jesse Luketa and return man Greg Dorth.
April 21
Arizona and other teams with returning head coaches can begin offseason workout programs.
April 23
The deadline for clubs to exercise the right of first refusal to restricted free agents.
This is also the final day for teams to meet, test, hold physicals or interview draft-eligible payers at any location.
April 24-26
The 2025 NFL Draft kicks off in Green Bay.
Arizona holds the 16th overall pick and four other selections.
Among the biggest needs for the Cardinals this offseason is adding pass-rushing help.
May 1
The deadline to exercise fifth-year options for players selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Cardinals don’t have to worry about this date since they dealt their first-rounder for Hollywood Brown in 2022.
Arizona’s highest pick that year? Tight end Trey McBride.
“That stuff will kind of take care of itself when the time comes for that.”
Cardinals TE Trey McBride is focused more on getting healthy and hitting the offseason than a potential contract extension (even if it seems like a given at this rate). #BirdGang pic.twitter.com/ck7pXg7siF
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) January 6, 2025
May 2-5 or May 9-12
Teams can begin holding their three-day rookie minicamps during one of the time slots.
May 12
Rookie football development programs kick off.
May 20-21
The spring league meeting and coach accelerator in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
June 1
Releasing a player before or after June 1 can have some serious implications on a team’s cap space.
If a player is released before the date, the team must take on the full brunt of the dead cap that season.
If a team cuts after the date or has a post-June 1 designation, then the dead cap is spaced out over two seasons.
For example, if safety Jalen Thompson was cut before June 1, the Cardinals would take on a dead money hit of $7.1 million for 2025. The cap space generated would be $6.5 million. If he’s cut with a post-June 1 designation, that dead-money hit is split between two seasons at $3.5 million with a $10.1 million in added cap space.
Mid July
Teams can open up training camp for rookies. Seven days from there is the mandatory reporting date for veteran players.