NFL free agency might be pushed back due to coronavirus

NFL free agency is scheduled to begin with the tampering period on March 16, followed by the new league year on March 18. Those plans may now change.

The NFL is set for its annual spending spree to begin on Monday. Stay tuned for changes.

While the league has been quiet throughout the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, Pro Football Talk is reporting there could be a change in the NFL’s offseason schedule.

On Thursday, the NFL has cancelled its owner’s meetings, which were slated for March 29-April 1 down in Palm Beach, Florida.

Currently, the start of free agency hasn’t been altered. League business is expected to come fast and furious this weekend, with the NFL Players Association scheduled to vote on the proposed Collective Bargaining Agreement by 11:59 p.m. ET on Saturday evening.

Once the players have voted on the CBA, perhaps then the NFL will determine the next steps. The franchise tag deadline is Monday morning, and whether or not that is altered remains to be seen. Essentially, it’s the CBA vote and then a ton of questions as we head into mid-March.

For commissioner Roger Goodell, there’s no reason not to push back free agency. For starters, the NFL wants eyeballs on the transactions. They want press conferences for the big signings.

While the lack of other sporting events would certainly put the NFL on center stage, it would be due to a global pandemic. The optics of players signing for millions upon millions while the country is in crisis are unseemly at best.