Important 2024 Offseason Dates for Vikings Fans to Remember
Josh Frey
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The NFL offseason has officially begun for a number of teams.
18 teams have been in offseason mode for a week now while the Wild Card playoff losers join them this week. Among those teams, of course, is the Minnesota Vikings. Here is a look at some of the important 2024 offseason dates for Vikings fans to remember in the coming months. The dates are courtesy of the NFL Football Operations calendar.
Important Offseason Dates to Remember
February 27th-March 4th: NFL Scouting Combine
NFL Draft season is already underway for a number of teams, but it really gets rolling at the end of February when the NFL scouting combine begins. Throughout the week, hundreds of potential NFL Draft prospects will head to Indianapolis to put their talents on display for the world. We’ll get to see many of the future Vikings go through workouts at the event in just a little over a month.
March 5th: Franchise/Transition Player Designation Deadline
The Minnesota Vikings have not utilized the franchise tag in recent years, but if they were going to do so in 2024, they will have to designate who that player is by March 5th. The Vikings have utilized the franchise tag just three times in their history, most recently being used on safety Anthony Harris back in 2020. Don’t expect it to happen this offseason.
March 11-13th: Legal Tampering Period
Free agents are allowed to begin taking meetings with teams on March 11th during the two-day “legal tampering” period as it has been commonly called over the years. This is a primer for the true free agency period that will begin 48 hours later.
March 13th: Free Agency Begins
This is when the true frenzy of the NFL offseason begins. Beginning at 4 PM Eastern on March 13th, free agents can officially agree to contracts with teams. This period of time in the middle of March will inevitably alter the landscape of the NFL, and the Vikings have some big names to keep an eye on when it officially gets started, including Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter.
April 19th: Offer Sheet Signing Deadline for Restricted Free Agents
While unrestricted free agents are allowed to sign wherever they want right away on March 13th, restricted free agents don’t have quite the same amount of freedom. While they can still meet with other franchises, their original team is allowed to match any offer sheet in order to retain these free agents. If a free agent has a desire to go to a new team, they have until April 19th to sign an offer sheet.
April 24th: Right of First Refusal Deadline
This is where the restricted free agency picture really becomes clearer. If any restricted free agent signs an offer sheet from another team, their original team has until April 24th to decide to exercise their Right of First Refusal and match that offer sheet. Notable restricted free agents for the Vikings this offseason include Blake Brandel, Theo Jackson, and Khyiris Tonga.
April 25th-27th: NFL Draft
The NFL offseason culminates with the NFL Draft at the end of April. This year, the first round is scheduled to begin on Thursday, April 25th while the second and third rounds will occur on Friday, April 26th before rounds four through seven take place on Saturday, April 27th.
May 2nd: Fifth-Year Option Deadline
One benefit of drafting a player in the first round is a team’s ability to offer a fifth-year option on their rookie contract. The Vikings did precisely that with WR Justin Jefferson last year, and in all likelihood, they will do so with LT Christian Darrisaw this offseason. They have until May 2nd to make that option official.
May 3rd-6th or May 10th-13th: Rookie Minicamps
NFL teams will have the ability to conduct rookie minicamps with their draft picks and any UDFA signings in the weeks after the NFL Draft. These minicamps are teams’ first opportunities to see their rookies practice while donning their colors.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.