There is no parade this season, no public chants of “fighting for our right to party.” The Chiefs’ attempt at a historic three-peat failed on Sunday in miserable fashion as the Philadelphia Eagles dominated Kansas City in Super Bowl 59. It was a miserable end to an otherwise stellar season.

Still, there’s reason to be optimistic. The Chiefs have represented the AFC in the last three Super Bowls and should be the favorites to get back again in 2025. The Chiefs have an entire offseason to reconstruct the roster and address concerns.

Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the NFL’s key offseason dates to know and what it means for Kansas City Chiefs fans.

February 18 – March 4: Franchise / Transition Tag Window

Beginning on February 18 at 4:00 p.m. ET, the Chiefs and other NFL teams can place franchise or transition tags on a player to retain the right to employ him instead of allowing him to hit free agency.

The Chiefs’ biggest free agents are guard Trey Smith and linebacker Nick Bolton, among others, but no one should expect the Chiefs to use the franchise tag. The transition tag allows that player to negotiate with other teams but gives the Chiefs the right to match the deal. It’s a lower guaranteed one-year deal than the franchise tag, but NFL teams rarely use the transition tag.

Expect the Chiefs to let this window pass without any actions on their part.

February 24 – March 3: NFL Scouting Combine

The annual Underwear Olympics. Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis will once again serve as the host site for the 2025 NFL Combine, where draft prospects gather to participate in various drills, undergo physical examinations, hold press conferences, and meet with teams for personal interviews.

Draft fans not only enjoy the spectacle of it all (although its usefulness can be questioned for sure), but the best part for Chiefs Kingdom will be that both Andy Reid and Brett Veach will likely address the media at a pivotal time here, providing key offseason updates for fans.

March 10 – 12: Legal FA Tampering Period

If this sounds silly, it’s because it is. Beginning at 11:00 a.m. CT on March 10, teams may initiate contract negotiations with players’ agents/reps before they’re scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. Somehow agreements can be reached but they’re not yet official. Yet teams are also penalized if negotiations happen before this window. As we said, it’s silly.

When it comes to the Chiefs, the team has a slew of free agent decisions to make about their own players, but Veach should also be somewhat active in the open market despite some cap constraints. Here’s a list of every free agent hitting the market from the Chiefs’ 2024 roster.

March 12: Free Agency Begins / Start of New League Year

At 3:00 p.m. CT on March 12, the new league year begins and that means teams like the Chiefs can officially sign unrestricted free agents and finalize any rumored/reported trades. It’s one of the most frenzied days of the year as the news comes fast and furious and continues for a few days in the first wave of player movement.

March 30 – April 2: NFL Owner Meetings

Clark Hunt and the other NFL team owners will gather in Palm Beach, Florida to discuss the state of things and to propose any potential rule changes. Here, we usually hear about new marketing initiatives from the league and new points of emphasis for NFL officials.

April 7 / April 21: Offseason Workouts Can Begin

NFL teams that have hired new head coaches can start their offseason workouts on April 7. which gives them a two-week head start on the rest of the league to implement their systems and learn the rosters. For the Chiefs and teams with veteran head coaches, the official start date is April 21.

April 18: Restricted Free Agent Deadline

Restricted free agents have until April 18 to sign offer sheets from other teams, although the RFA designation still means the original team has the right to match any offer. For the Chiefs, this includes players like linebacker Jack Cochrane, defensive end Malik Herring, and defensive backs Nazeeh Johnson and Keith Taylor.

April 24 – 26: 2025 NFL Draft

The 2025 NFL Draft has become a traveling circus in the last decade, and this year, the big tent is pulling up in Green Bay at Lambeau Field. Held over the course of three days, NFL fans can enjoy family-friendly festivities while their favorite teams grab the best and brightest from the college ranks to replenish the roster. The Tennessee Titans hold the first overall pick this year while the Chiefs have four picks in the first three rounds.

May 1: Fifth-Year Option Deadline

NFL teams must decide whether to exercise the fifth-year option on contracts of first-round picks from the 2022 NFL Draft by May 1. The fifth-year option is much more expensive on the books than the rookie deal, but it’s still a very cost-effective way to maintain player control for another season for top young players.

For the Chiefs, this is one of the most important offseason deadlines because both defensive end George Karlaftis and cornerback Trent McDuffie fall into this category. Both players are young defensive pillars so it makes sense that Veach would exercise both fifth-year options in this case to keep them into 2026. This also gives plenty of runway to work out long-term deals.

May 2 – 5 or 9 – 12: Rookie Minicamps Held

Every year, NFL teams conduct rookie minicamps for all of their draft picks and undrafted free agents (as well as holding roster tryouts) for players freshly added from the NFL Draft. The weekend event is held the first or second weekend after the draft, depending on a team’s preference.

July 15: Franchise Tag Players Extension Deadline

This is the date by which teams must finalize contract extensions with players given a franchise tag or else they must play out the season under the terms of the slotted amount for a single season. The Chiefs aren’t going to likely worry about this in 2025, but they have in recent years with the likes of Chris Jones.

Mid-July: Training Camp Begins

Exact dates will be forthcoming, but the Chiefs will once again convene at Missouri State Western University in St. Joseph, Missouri for training camp in the second half of July.