The NFL’s legal tampering period is set to begin on Monday. Here are the answers to some questions you might have about it.
**What is the legal tampering period?**
For all intents and purposes, it is the start of free agency. Teams can begin negotiating contracts with free agents at Noon Eastern Daylight Time on Monday.
**Why is it called the legal tampering period?**
Technically the new league year does not begin until 4:00 pm Eastern. That is the official expiration time of player contracts ending after the 2024 season. So until Wednesday, players are technically still under contract to other teams. Negotiating with a player under contract to another team is tampering. However, since 2013 the league has allowed teams to start negotiating with players two days before the start of the new league year. Thus the two days before the start of the league year are the legal tampering period.
**Why did the NFL do this?**
The league found that there was widespread rule breaking that involved teams illegally negotiating with free agents and thus tampering before the official start of free agency. So they decided to make it legal.
**Wait, you’re saying the league found instances of rule breaking? And then instead of enforcing the rules, they changed them to make the rule breaking legal?**
Yes.
**Won’t this just encourage teams to further break the rules and negotiate with players before the start of the legal tampering period? It seems like the league has provided an incentive for it and no deterrence against it?**
Judge for yourself when you see how many big money deals are reported just minutes after noon on Monday.
**Is there anything else I need to know?**
Because the new league year doesn’t begin until Wednesday, contracts cannot officially be signed until then. In almost every case, this is a mere formality. However, it does give some players time to change their mind as was the case in the 2019 when the Jets thought they had landed Anthony Barr. Barr initially agreed to join the Jets but then switched gears and signed with the Minnesota Vikings.