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Explaining the Difference Between Restricted and Unrestricted Free Agents in the NFL
NFL free agency kicks off next week. The league's legal tampering period opened up on Monday, and free agency officially starting on March 12 at 1 p.m. ET. There are two primary types of free agents—unrestricted free agents and restricted free agents.
Here is a breakdown of the difference between unrestricted and restricted free agents.
What is an unrestricted free agent?
An unrestricted free agent is a player that has accrued at least four seasons in the NFL and seen their contract expire. Once their contract expires, they can negotiate and sign with any team across the NFL.
NFL players selected in the draft typically begin their careers on four-year rookie contracts. NFL teams have a fifth-year option they can use on first-round picks. If these players do not re-sign with the team that drafted them or get franchise tagged, they go on to become free agents.
What is a restricted free agent?
A player becomes a restricted free agent when they have three accrued seasons and their contract has expired. A restricted free agent can sign with any team, but their previous team has the opportunity to extend a qualifying offer, or tender. The tender either comes with right of refusal or draft pick compensation.
In 2025, Over the Cap lists a first-round tender at $7,458,000, a second-round tender at $5,346,000, and a right of first refusal at $3,263,000.
What is an exclusive rights free agent?
An exclusive rights free agent is not extremely common, but is a player that has accrued fewer than three seasons and has an expired contract. If their team offers them a one-year contract, they are not permitted to negotiate with other teams. This season, New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito is an exclusive rights free agent.
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Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.