The 2019 NFL season came to an end Sunday with Kansas City's 31-20 win over San Francisco in Super Bowl LIV. The Seahawks have been looking ahead to 2020 from the moment their season ended with a divisional round loss in Green Bay—"I think this is the start of this team," Pete Carroll said after that season-ending loss—but with the 2019 season now in the rearview mirror for the entire NFL, it's time to look ahead to some of the important league dates leading up to the 2020 season.
- Feb. 11: NFL teams may begin to sign CFL players whose contracts have expired.
- Feb. 24-March 2: NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
- Feb. 25: First day for teams to designate Franchise or Transition Players. The Seahawks didn't use the Franchise tag between 2010 (Olindo Mare) and last year before placing it on Frank Clark, who was later traded to Kansas City. A reminder that Jadeveon Clowney will not be franchised, as the Seahawks agreed to that as part of the trade to acquire him from Houston.
- March 10: Deadline to designate Franchise or Transition players.
- March 16-18: Teams can contract and enter into negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins on March 18.
- March 18: 2020 league year begins, teams can begin signing free agents at 1 p.m. PT. This is also the deadline for exercising 2020 options on players who have option clauses in 2019 contract, as well as the deadline to submit qualifying offers to restricted free agents in order to retain the right of first refusal/compensation. The 2020 trading period also opens on this day.
- March 29-April 1: Annual League Meetings, Palm Beach, Florida.
- April 17: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.
- April 20: Teams with returning head coaches, including the Seahawks, may begin offseason workout programs.
- April 23-25: NFL Draft, Las Vegas, Nevada. The Seahawks currently hold the 27th pick of the first round. The Seahawks also haven't used their original first-round pick since 2011, however, so don't count on seeing them pick at 27.
- April 27: Teams may request permission to visit with, try out or sign players who were under contract with the XFL at the conclusion of the XFL season. Will the new league, which includes the Seattle Dragons, produce talent that gets the attention of NFL talent evaluators?
- May 1-4 or May 8-11: Teams can host three-day rookie minicamps during these two weekends.
- May 19-20: Spring League Meetings, Marina Del Ray, California.
- July 15: Deadline for any designated Franchise Player to sign a multi-year contract extension. After this date, the player may only sign a one-year contract with his team for the 2020 season and cannot negotiate an extension until after that team's final regular season game.
- Mid-July: Teams may open training camp for rookies seven days before the permissible reporting date for veterans. The Seahawks brought rookie in early for camp ahead of veterans last year for the first time under Pete Carroll and John Schneider.
- August 6: Hall of Fame Game, Canton, Ohio.
- August 6-9: Hall of Fame Weekend, Canton, Ohio. Seahawks Legend Steve Hutchinson will be among the group enshrined in the Pro Hall of Fame.
- Sept. 5: Teams must reduce rosters to 53 players.
- Sept. 10, 13-14: 2020 regular season begins. Look for the NFL schedule to come out some time this spring.
