An unrestricted free agent is a player who has accrued four or more seasons in the league and whose contract has ended. Unrestricted free agents are free to negotiate and sign a contract with any team.
A finished contract can be one that has either expired naturally or been terminated by the team, like when a player is cut.
The current NFL free agency rules were put into place in 1993.
What Does UFA Mean In the NFL?
Typically, UFA stands for unrestricted free agent.
In 2025, UFAs were free to negotiate a new contract with any team beginning March 10 but couldn’t sign until March 15, when free agency starts and the 2025 league year begins.
UFA’s generally refer to unrestricted free agents, though undrafted free agents – rookies who are signed after a new NFL draft ends without their selection – are also sometimes referred to as UFA’s.
You can follow BetMGM’s NFL Free Agency tracker for more news and analysis.
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