After the Super Bowl: This is what happens in the NFL

The 2023/24 NFL season officially ends on March 13, 2024. The new league year starts promptly at 10 p.m. German time. From then on, all players who have already been playing in the league for a few years and whose contracts have expired are so-called “free agents” and can sign with the team of their choice. As early as March 11, teams can legally negotiate with impending free agents. It is strictly forbidden beforehand. On March 13th at 10 p.m., all teams must be below the salary cap, and previously negotiated trades (player swaps) will also be officially processed.

During the offseason, the players train largely on their own, but there are strict regulations for team training. From April 1st, teams that have hired a new head coach should begin their first workout programs. All others should only start from April 15th. These workouts are completely voluntary for the players. Contact training (e.g. tackling) is completely prohibited. In addition, “the intensity and pace of exercises should be at a level conducive to learning, with player safety as the top priority,” as the NFL stipulates. During the offseason there are a total of three phases in which the intensity can be increased. These first workouts belong to phase one, in which only strength and endurance can be trained.

During the draft, NFL teams select what they believe to be the best college players for their team in a set order. The weakest team from the past season can choose first, in 2024 that would be the Carolina Panthers. Since they gave up their first-round pick to the Chicago Bears in 2023 in order to get their turn earlier in that draft, the Bears now have the first pick of the 2024 draft. The Kansas City Chiefs are last in line as Super Bowl winners. There are a total of seven rounds spread over the three days. This year the venue is Detroit.

Sometime in the spring, usually in May, the NFL releases the exact schedule for the new season. The teams already know their opponents, they just don't know when they will meet whom. Then it will be clear which teams will play in Germany in 2024. In any case, the Carolina Panthers have a “home game” in Munich. The opponent is still unknown.

Minicamps and a total of ten “Organized Team Activities” (OTAs) are permitted on various dates in May and June determined by the teams. These are divided into phases two and three. In the third phase, which includes the OTAs, training offense against defense is finally allowed, even in eleven against eleven. However, contact training is still prohibited.

The hot phase of season preparation begins towards the end of July: In the training camp, the teams are sometimes allowed to train with full equipment and full physical contact. From now on the battles for the coveted 53 squad positions really begin; At this point, the teams have around 90 players in their squad, 37 of whom will be released before the start of the season.

After a game in honor of the players who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024, the so-called “preseason” begins. The game is expected to take place on August 1st. The two teams from the “Hall of Fame Game” have a total of vihe preparatory games, all the other three. The regular preseason games are expected to start on the weekend of 10/11. August, all test games will be finished by August 25th (more likely in the days before).

In the days following the final preseason games, the NFL sets a deadline by which each team's roster must be cut to 53 players. The date should be around August 31st. Before that there will be two more dates where the squad will have to be reduced somewhat.

After a long seven months, the new NFL season finally begins. The reigning Super Bowl winner opens with a home game on Thursday evening, this time against the Kansas City Chiefs. The following weekend all other teams will be challenged for the first time.