Welcome to the 2026 Offseason
January 12, 2026
By Noonefromtampa
Yes, the playoffs are underway and that pesky event called the Super Bowl is still on the calendar, but for our glorious Commanders the offseason has begun. Coordinators Joe Whitt and Kliff Kingsbury have been let go and quarterback coach Tavita Pritchard has left to become head coach of Stanford University.
Assistant quarterback coach David Blough was hired to be the new offensive coordinator for the Commanders. He is viewed as a young, up and coming offensive mind in the NFL. Keeping Blough also provides some consistency for quarterback Jayden Daniels. He had other interviews for an offensive coordinator position, specifically with the Detroit Lions who were very interested according to the media sources.
Interviews for defensive coordinators are ongoing. According to sources, Patrick Graham, the former Raiders defensive coordinator, has been interviewed. Other names linked to Washington’s process are:
- Raheem Morris, who worked with Dan Quinn in Atlanta, but supposedly he is interested in head coaching positions only.
- Al Harris, the Bears secondary coach who worked with Quinn in Dallas, is another name in the mix.
- Jeff Ulbrich, the former Falcons DC, is another coach with long time ties to Quinn all the way to his early 49ers coaching days.
- Brian Flores and Jim Schwartz are two more candidates that are fan favorites but may be more inline with head coach openings.
Once the coordinators are in place we may see some changes in the position coaches too.
2026 Key League Dates
| Date | Event or Deadline |
| January 14, 2026 | Deadline for college players who are underclassmen to apply for Special Eligibility. |
| January 25, 2026 | AFC and NFC Championship Games presented by Intuit TurboTax. |
| January 27, 2026 | East-West Shrine Bowl, Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas. |
| January 31, 2026 | Senior Bowl, Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Ala. |
| February 3, 2026 | Pro Bowl Games powered by Verizon, Moscone Center, San Francisco, Cali. |
| February 17, 2026 | Beginning this date through 4:00 p.m. ET on March 3, clubs may designate Franchise or Transition Players. |
| February 23 – March 2 | NFL Scouting Combine, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind. |
| March 3, 2026 | Prior to 4:00 p.m. ET, deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players. |
| March 9 – March 11 | During the period beginning at 12:00 noon, ET, on March 9 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m. ET, on March 11, clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their 2025 player contracts at 4:00 p.m. ET, on March 12.
A prospective UFA who is not represented by an NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor (“Unrepresented Player”) is permitted to communicate directly with a new club’s front office officials (excluding the head coach and other members of the club’s coaching staff) regarding contract negotiations. The club is responsible for confirming the player’s status as an unrepresented player. No prospective unrestricted free agent is permitted to execute a contract with a new club until 4:00 p.m. ET, on March 11. |
| March 11, 2026 | The 2026 League Year and free agency signing period begin at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Trading period for 2026 begins at 4:00 p.m. ET, after expiration of all 2025 contracts. The first day of the 2026 League Year will end at 11:59:59 p.m. ET, on March 12. Clubs will receive a personnel notice that will include all transactions submitted to the League office during the period between 4:00 p.m. ET, and 11:59:59 p.m. ET, on March 11. |
| March 29 – April 1 | Annual League Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona. |
| April 6, 2026 | Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2025 regular season may begin offseason workout programs. |
| April 15, 2026 | Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview, or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at its club facility. |
| April 17, 2026 | Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets. |
| April 20, 2026 | Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs. |
| April 22, 2026 | Deadline for prior club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents who signed offer sheets.
Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview (including video and phone calls) or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at any location. |
| April 23-25 | NFL Draft, Pittsburgh, Pa. |
| May 1, 2026 | Deadline for clubs to exercise fifth-year option for players selected in the first round of the 2023 Draft. |
| May 1 – 4 or May 8 – 11 |
Clubs may elect to hold their one three-day post-Draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday on one of the two weekends following the Draft. |
| May 11, 2026 | Rookie Football Development Programs begin. |
| May 13 – 17 | NFLPA Rookie Premiere, Los Angeles, Cali. |
| May 19 – 20 | Spring League Meeting, Orlando, Fla. |
| June 1, 2026 | Deadline for prior club to send “June 1 Tender” to its unsigned restricted free agents who received a qualifying offer for a right of first refusal only for such player to be subject to the CBA’s “June 15 Tender” provision. |
| June 15, 2026 | Deadline for club to withdraw higher qualifying offer to restricted free agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting lower “June 15 Tender” of one-year contract at 110 percent of the player’s prior-year Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior-year contract carried forward unchanged). |
2026 Schedule
The extact schedule is usually release a couple of week after the draft but the 2026 opponents are known.
Home Games: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons
Away Games: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings
Wrap-Up
The Hog Sty has you covered over the coming months with features of position reviews of the current roster, possible free agents the team could sign, reviews of possible draft picks by position group and who are the possible players mocked to Washington in round 1.