The NFL’s legal tampering period is set to begin on Monday.
The 2021 NFL league year and the start of the NFL’s free agency period are set to begin on March 17th at 3:00 p.m. CT, but teams can begin negotiations with free agents on March 15th at 11:00 a.m. CT.
The legal tampering period is essentially a two-day negotiation window, during which, NFL teams can begin communicating with representation for pending free agents. This period plays a large part in the annual spectacle that is NFL free agency. It will also help determine where some of the bigger free agents will end up across the league.
There are plenty of different rules and regulations from the NFL surrounding what exactly legal tampering entails. Here’s a look at the things teams can do and what they can’t do.
What you can do during the legal tampering period:
- This period is only applicable to unrestricted free agents.
- Teams can negotiate “all aspects of an NFL player contract” with a player’s representation.
- A new rule this year allows teams to negotiate directly with players, only if the player acts as their own representation.
What you can’t do during the legal tampering period:
- Teams can’t talk to restricted free agents or exclusive rights free agents during this two-day period.
- Contracts can’t be executed or agreed to in principle during the legal tampering window.
- Players can’t take team visits during this period or make travel arrangements for visits.
- Contract announcements can’t be made by teams until the new league year begins.
Tampering violations can result in steep consequences for teams. Chiefs fans are certainly familiar with the harshest of possible consequences. The league came down hard on Kansas City for supposedly tampering with free-agent wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, imposing both fines and loss of draft picks.
As of Patrick Mahomes’ contract restructure, the Chiefs are projected to have just over $12 million in salary-cap space available to sign free agents. Kansas City has a total of 18 players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. They also have three players who are exclusive rights free agents and five who are restricted free agents.
During the legal tampering period, the Chiefs would be wise to do their diligence on some replacement options for several players departing in free agency. They’re expected to be heavily involved in the market for offensive linemen. On the defensive side of the ball, they could be looking for some edge rusher help opposite Frank Clark.
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