A player with three accrued NFL seasons whose contract has expired. RFAs can negotiate with other teams, but the original team can match any offer and may receive draft pick compensation if it declines.
A restricted free agent is a player who has exactly three accrued seasons in the NFL and whose contract has expired. Unlike unrestricted free agents, RFAs are subject to significant constraints. Their current team can place a qualifying offer (also called a tender) on them at various levels, each carrying different salary amounts and compensation requirements if another team signs the player away. The tender levels for RFAs include: first-round tender (highest salary, team receives a first-round pick if player signs elsewhere), second-round tender, original-round tender (compensation equals the round the player was originally drafted in), and right-of-first-refusal-only tender (lowest salary, no draft pick compensation but team can match any offer). If another team signs an RFA to an offer sheet, the original team has five days to match the contract terms. In practice, most RFAs receive a tender and remain with their current team. The system is designed to give teams additional control over young players who have completed their initial contracts but have not yet reached full unrestricted status. Players who were undrafted and receive the original-round tender are treated as though they were drafted in the equivalent round based on their tender level.
In 2023, the Cowboys placed a second-round RFA tender on WR Michael Gallup. No other team submitted an offer sheet, so Gallup played the season on the tender amount. Most RFAs stay put because teams are reluctant to surrender draft picks as compensation.
Category: Free Agency & Tags. Part of the StickToTheModel NFL Encyclopedia.