The Denver Broncos can now turn their attention to the NFL free agency period and the NFL Draft. When does free agency begin? In one of the most fun times of the NFL year, the Broncos get to embark on what could be a huge free agency period. This team hit on a rookie QB and will have money to spend.
This is where a huge window could open for a team - the Broncos have something substantive to build on and aren't just throwing stuff at the wall. Bo Nix is a legitimate QB in this league and was arguably approaching top-10 status near the end of the regular season.
Before we get to the 2025 NFL Draft, the NFL gets to go through the free agency period. Denver does not have a ton of high-profile free agents to take care of, so they are in a good spot to make a splash signing or two. When does free agency begin?
When does the NFL Free Agency period start?
Beginning on March 10th at noon New York time, the Broncos and the rest of the NFL can begin the "legal tampering period" where they are free to negotiate with free agents. This runs through 3:59 PM on March 12th.
And when 4:00 PM rolls around on March 12th, the free agency signings can become official. We have heard the legal tampering period phrase used many times, but there always seems to be free agency contracts breaking right when FA opens, so it's clear that teams are negotiating before the tampering period begins.
But the March 12th date, which is about two months from now, is the main date to keep in mind. From now until then, the Denver Broncos will likely compile some sort of list of in-house free agents they want to keep and external free agents they want to pursue.
When Sean Payton first arrived back in 2023, the Broncos were pretty active when free agency opened. Big-time signings of Zach Allen, Ben Powers, and Mike McGlinchey all happened that day. And it was clear that Payton was wanting to leave an early mark. The Broncos were much more frugal in free agency last year, but can be a bit more aggressive this time around.
They have eaten a large chunk of the Russell Wilson dead cap hit, so there is reason for the team to make a big-time signing of they feel there's a player out there for them. From now until then, it's truly a waiting game.