NFL league year and free agency will start on time

The official start of the new NFL league year and free agency will not be pushed back, despite the mounting fears about the coronavirus outbreak.

The news comes from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The NFL just sent a memo to clubs saying the league year will start on time, per source.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 15, 2020

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFLPA was the driving force behind the decision.

NFL says NFLPA would not provide consent to move league year, per source.

NFLPA says: No one is traveling anyway. It’s not football activity, it’s deals. Everyone is working remotely. Let’s do our business remotely. And this could get worse before it gets better. So do it now.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2020

There was a thought that the starting date would be pushed back due to the recent outbreak that has put all sports in general on hold, but the NFL has apparently decided to push ahead.

This means that the legal tampering period will begin on Monday, March 16, as originally planned, with the official start of free agency and the new league year falling on March 18.

Now official: The NFL’s 2020 league year will start on time. They informed teams in a memo that the schedule stands. So, tags are due tomorrow at 11:59 am, tampering begins at noon, the league year starts Wednesday at 4 pm. It will be an escape.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2020

The legal tampering period is when teams can start negotiating with free agents, and the start of the new league year is when those free agents can begin signing contracts with teams.

Monday will be a busy day in the NFL, as teams also have to designate franchise tag players by 11:59 a.m. ET. The legal tampering period begins just one minute after that deadline at noon ET.

The only thing left to decide now is if the 2020 NFL Draft, which is slated to start on April 23 in Las Vegas, will be pushed back to a later date or if it will start on time.