2009 NFL Calendar — Important dates
Jan. 10-11 — Divisional playoffs.
Jan. 18 — AFC and NFC Championship games
Feb. 1 — Super Bowl XLIII, Tampa, Fla. (NBC)
Feb. 8 — AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, Honolulu, Hawaii (NBC).
Feb. 18-24 — NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Feb. 19 — Deadline for clubs to designate franchise and transition players.
Feb. 26 — Deadline for submission of qualifying offers by clubs to their restricted free agents whose contracts have expired and to whom they desire to retain a right of first refusal/compensation.
Feb. 26 — Deadline for clubs to submit offer of minimum salary to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with fewer than three seasons of free agency credit and whose contracts have expired.
Feb. 27 — Veteran free agency begins; trading period begins.
Mar. 22-25 — Annual owners meeting, in Dana Point, Calif.
Apr. 17 — Signing period ends for restricted free agents.
Apr. 24 — Deadline for old club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents.
Apr. 25-26 — NFL draft in New York City, N.Y.
May 18-20 — NFL Spring Meeting, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
June 1 — Deadline for old clubs to send tender to unsigned unrestricted free agents to receive exclusive negotiating rights for rest of season if player is not signed by another club by July 22.
June 1 — Deadline for old clubs to send tender to unsigned restricted free agents or to extend qualifying offer to retain exclusive negotiating rights.
June 15 — Deadline for old clubs to withdraw original qualifying offer to unsigned restricted free agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting tender of 110 percent of previous year’s salary.
June 28-July 1 — NFL Rookie Symposium, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Mid-July — Training camps open.
July 22 — Signing period ends at 4 p.m. EDT for unrestricted free agents who received June 1 tender.
Aug. 9 — Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, Canton, Ohio.
Aug. 13-17 — First weekend of exhibition games.
Sept. 1 — Roster cutdown to maximum of 75 players.
Sept. 5 — Roster cutdown to maximum of 53 players.
Sept. 10-14 — 2009 kick-off weekend.
Oct. 12-13: Fall meeting, Boston
Oct. 20: Trading deadline
Oct. 25: International Series, London, England (New England Patriots vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

2010

Jan. 3: Regular season ends
Jan. 9-10: Wild card playoffs
Jan. 16-17: Divisional playoffs
Jan. 24: Conference championships
Jan. 31: AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, South Florida (ESPN)
Feb. 7: Super Bowl XLIV, South Florida (CBS)
Feb. 24-March 2: Scouting Combine, Indianapolis
Mar. 5: Free agency begins
Mar. 21-24: Annual meeting, Orlando
May: NFL Draft, New York (Dates TBA)
May 24-26: Spring meeting, Dallas