2025 NFL key dates for the Chicago Bears offseason; free agency, Combine, draft and more

The calendar for the offseason is here for 2025.

It’s going to be a busy offseason for the Chicago Bears.

After missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year, they’re launching another head coaching search and trying to find a way back to relevancy.

Below we have all of the key offseason dates. From the Combine, draft evaluation bowls, free agency and more.

• Jan. 6 - Teams may sign street free agents for the 2025 season, including CFL players. Additionally, teams may extend players from the 2022 NFL Draft and undrafted players from 2023. Fifth-year club options for players from the 2022 draft may be exercised.
• Jan. 11-13 - Wild Card Weekend
• Jan. 15 - College underclassmen deadline to declare for the NFL Draft
• Jan. 18-19 - Divisional Playoff round
• Jan. 26 - Conference Championship games
• Jan. 30 - East-West Shrine Game
• Feb 1 - Senior Bowl
• Feb. 2 - Pro Bowl Games (Jaylon Johnson is set to be the only Bears player selected at this time)
• Feb. 9 - Super Bowl LIX
• Feb. 18 to March 4 - Teams may designate Franchise and Transition tag players
• Feb. 24 to March 3 - Scouting Combine in Indianapolis
• March 10-12 - Free agency negotiation period for teams to negotiate with agents of players with contracts expiring
• March 12 - The 2025 NFL league year begins at 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Free agency begins and the 2025 trading period begins.
• March 30-April 2 - NFL League Meeting (typically we hear from George McCaskey and other Bears dignitaries, including the new coach)
• April 7 - Teams with new head coaches (including the Bears) are allowed to begin offseason workouts.
• April 16 - Last day for teams to bring draft prospects to their facilities.
• April 18 - Last day for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets
• April 21 - Teams with returning head coaches may begin offseason workouts
• April 23 - Deadline for prior clubs to match restricted free agent offer sheets. Also the last day for clubs to meet with draft prospects at any locations.
• April 24-26 - NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wis.
• May 1 - Fifth-year option deadline for 2022 draft players
• May 2-5 or 9-12 - Rookie minicamp weekends
• May 14-18 NFLPA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles
• June 1 - Deadline for prior club to send “June 1 Tender” to its unsigned restricted free agents who received a qualifying offer for a right of first refusal only in order for such player to be subject to the CBA’s “June 15 Tender” provision.
• June 15 - Deadline for club to withdraw higher qualifying offer to restricted free agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting lower “June 15 Tender” of one-year contract at 110 percent of the player’s prior-year Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior-year contract carried forward unchanged). -...