NFL Agency Exam UPDATED
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
ACCRUED SEASON - CORRECT ANSWER A player receives an Accrued Season when they
are on Full-Pay status for 6 or more regular season games.
***This excludes games on the Practice Squad, Physically Unable to Perform-Non-Football Injury
List (PUP-NFI), and/or Exempt Commissioner Permission List.
CREDITED SEASON - CORRECT ANSWER Used for Player Benefits. A player receives a
CS any season in which he appears on the A/I, IR or PUP list for his Club. He also receives a CS if he
is released injured and paid the equivalent of at least 3 game checks.
RD 1 PICK - CORRECT ANSWER 4-YEAR W/5TH YEAR OPTION
RD 2-7 PICK - CORRECT ANSWER 4-YEAR CONTRACT
UDFA - CORRECT ANSWER 3-YEAR CONTRACT
5th-Year Option for 1st-Round Draft Picks (Qualifiers for 1st 3 Years)
No Pro Bowls & <75% participation; or Cumulative avg of 75% participation: or participate in a
cumulative 50% of plays in each of the 3 years - CORRECT ANSWER Option Compensation
Transition Tender (3rd-25th highest salaries at same position)
5th-Year Option for 1st-Round Draft Picks (Qualifiers for 1st 3 Years)
No Pro Bowls, min. 75% participation; or Cumulative avg of 75% participation: or participate in a
cumulative 75% of plays in each of the 3 years - CORRECT ANSWER Option Compensation
Transition Tender (3rd-20th highest salaries at same position)
5th-Year Option for 1st-Round Draft Picks (Qualifiers for 1st 3 Years)
,One (1) Pro Bowl (on original ballot) - CORRECT ANSWER Option Compensation
Transition Tender
5th-Year Option for 1st-Round Draft Picks (Qualifiers for 1st 3 Years)
Two (2) or more Pro Bowls (on original ballot) - CORRECT ANSWER Option Compensation
Franchise Tender
Rookie Contract Deadline - CORRECT ANSWER Tuesday after Week 10 of the regular season.
Of course, as a matter of practicality, the majority of players sign prior to the start of camp.
5th-Year Option for 1st-Round Draft Picks - CORRECT ANSWER Rookies drafted in the 1st-
round sign mandatory 4-year contracts just like other draft picks, but their contracts contain a 5th year
Option clause the other rounds do not have.
- These Option years are exercised by the Club, not the player.
- Clubs must exercise the Option at the end of a player's 3rd season.
- The Year 5 Compensation changed in 2018, and is now based on certain qualifying criteria during
the first 3 years of the contract.
- These 5th year salaries become guaranteed skill, injury and Salary Cap-related termination, effective
when the Club exercises the option
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENT - CORRECT ANSWER 0, 1, 2 ACCRUED SEASONS
RESTRICTED FREE AGENT - CORRECT ANSWER 3 ACCRUED SEASONS
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT - CORRECT ANSWER 4 ACCRUED SEASONS
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENT Minimum Tenders - CORRECT ANSWER Minimum
Tenders Minimum tenders for ERFA players are due by the 1st day of the League Year (Mid March).
The tender offer gives exclusive rights to the offering Club, and must be at least the minimum
applicable salary. The deadline to sign the tender offer is the Tuesday after week 10 of the regular
season. There are no "splits" on tender offers for ERFA players.
, RESTRICTED FREE AGENT (Qualifying Offers) - CORRECT ANSWER Qualifying offers
are due by the 1st day of the League Year. A player has 35 days to shop around after receiving a
qualifying offer. The offering Club has Right of First Refusal (ROFR) on an offer made to the player
by another Club.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENT (Qualifying Offers) ROFR - CORRECT ANSWER 2020
SALARY EXAMPLE - $2.025 million
RESTRICTED FREE AGENT (Qualifying Offers) ROFR & original draft round - CORRECT
ANSWER 2020 SALARY EXAMPLE - $2.025 million or 110% of previous year's salary
RESTRICTED FREE AGENT (Qualifying Offers) ROFR & 2nd round - CORRECT
ANSWER 2020 SALARY EXAMPLE - $3.095 million or 110% of previous year's salary
RESTRICTED FREE AGENT (Qualifying Offers) ROFR & 1st round - CORRECT
ANSWER 2020 SALARY EXAMPLE - $4.407 million or 110% of previous year's salary
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT TENDER - CORRECT ANSWER The tender deadline for
UFA players are due by June 1st. A Club can offer 110% of the previous year's salary. This usually
does not happen.
Franchise Player Tag (Designation Period) - CORRECT ANSWER A Club may designate a
Franchise Player from the 22nd to the 8th day prior to the start of the League Year. It may be more
easily described as the 14 day period ending 8 days before the start of the League Year
Franchise Player Tag (COMPENSATION Period) - CORRECT ANSWER The Franchise Tag
entitles the player to a salary that is equal to (stay with me) "the average of the top 5 salaries at the
player's position averaged over 5 years as a percentage of the cap, or 120% of the player's previous
year's salary, whichever is greater".
For the exam, you need to know and understand the definition, but you will not be calculating the
actual number.
The original intent of the Franchise designation was to encourage long-term deals. After a player is
designated, if a long-term deal is signed by July 15th (4:00pm EST), the Tag then becomes available
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
ACCRUED SEASON - CORRECT ANSWER A player receives an Accrued Season when they
are on Full-Pay status for 6 or more regular season games.
***This excludes games on the Practice Squad, Physically Unable to Perform-Non-Football Injury
List (PUP-NFI), and/or Exempt Commissioner Permission List.
CREDITED SEASON - CORRECT ANSWER Used for Player Benefits. A player receives a
CS any season in which he appears on the A/I, IR or PUP list for his Club. He also receives a CS if he
is released injured and paid the equivalent of at least 3 game checks.
RD 1 PICK - CORRECT ANSWER 4-YEAR W/5TH YEAR OPTION
RD 2-7 PICK - CORRECT ANSWER 4-YEAR CONTRACT
UDFA - CORRECT ANSWER 3-YEAR CONTRACT
5th-Year Option for 1st-Round Draft Picks (Qualifiers for 1st 3 Years)
No Pro Bowls & <75% participation; or Cumulative avg of 75% participation: or participate in a
cumulative 50% of plays in each of the 3 years - CORRECT ANSWER Option Compensation
Transition Tender (3rd-25th highest salaries at same position)
5th-Year Option for 1st-Round Draft Picks (Qualifiers for 1st 3 Years)
No Pro Bowls, min. 75% participation; or Cumulative avg of 75% participation: or participate in a
cumulative 75% of plays in each of the 3 years - CORRECT ANSWER Option Compensation
Transition Tender (3rd-20th highest salaries at same position)
5th-Year Option for 1st-Round Draft Picks (Qualifiers for 1st 3 Years)
,One (1) Pro Bowl (on original ballot) - CORRECT ANSWER Option Compensation
Transition Tender
5th-Year Option for 1st-Round Draft Picks (Qualifiers for 1st 3 Years)
Two (2) or more Pro Bowls (on original ballot) - CORRECT ANSWER Option Compensation
Franchise Tender
Rookie Contract Deadline - CORRECT ANSWER Tuesday after Week 10 of the regular season.
Of course, as a matter of practicality, the majority of players sign prior to the start of camp.
5th-Year Option for 1st-Round Draft Picks - CORRECT ANSWER Rookies drafted in the 1st-
round sign mandatory 4-year contracts just like other draft picks, but their contracts contain a 5th year
Option clause the other rounds do not have.
- These Option years are exercised by the Club, not the player.
- Clubs must exercise the Option at the end of a player's 3rd season.
- The Year 5 Compensation changed in 2018, and is now based on certain qualifying criteria during
the first 3 years of the contract.
- These 5th year salaries become guaranteed skill, injury and Salary Cap-related termination, effective
when the Club exercises the option
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENT - CORRECT ANSWER 0, 1, 2 ACCRUED SEASONS
RESTRICTED FREE AGENT - CORRECT ANSWER 3 ACCRUED SEASONS
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT - CORRECT ANSWER 4 ACCRUED SEASONS
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENT Minimum Tenders - CORRECT ANSWER Minimum
Tenders Minimum tenders for ERFA players are due by the 1st day of the League Year (Mid March).
The tender offer gives exclusive rights to the offering Club, and must be at least the minimum
applicable salary. The deadline to sign the tender offer is the Tuesday after week 10 of the regular
season. There are no "splits" on tender offers for ERFA players.
, RESTRICTED FREE AGENT (Qualifying Offers) - CORRECT ANSWER Qualifying offers
are due by the 1st day of the League Year. A player has 35 days to shop around after receiving a
qualifying offer. The offering Club has Right of First Refusal (ROFR) on an offer made to the player
by another Club.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENT (Qualifying Offers) ROFR - CORRECT ANSWER 2020
SALARY EXAMPLE - $2.025 million
RESTRICTED FREE AGENT (Qualifying Offers) ROFR & original draft round - CORRECT
ANSWER 2020 SALARY EXAMPLE - $2.025 million or 110% of previous year's salary
RESTRICTED FREE AGENT (Qualifying Offers) ROFR & 2nd round - CORRECT
ANSWER 2020 SALARY EXAMPLE - $3.095 million or 110% of previous year's salary
RESTRICTED FREE AGENT (Qualifying Offers) ROFR & 1st round - CORRECT
ANSWER 2020 SALARY EXAMPLE - $4.407 million or 110% of previous year's salary
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT TENDER - CORRECT ANSWER The tender deadline for
UFA players are due by June 1st. A Club can offer 110% of the previous year's salary. This usually
does not happen.
Franchise Player Tag (Designation Period) - CORRECT ANSWER A Club may designate a
Franchise Player from the 22nd to the 8th day prior to the start of the League Year. It may be more
easily described as the 14 day period ending 8 days before the start of the League Year
Franchise Player Tag (COMPENSATION Period) - CORRECT ANSWER The Franchise Tag
entitles the player to a salary that is equal to (stay with me) "the average of the top 5 salaries at the
player's position averaged over 5 years as a percentage of the cap, or 120% of the player's previous
year's salary, whichever is greater".
For the exam, you need to know and understand the definition, but you will not be calculating the
actual number.
The original intent of the Franchise designation was to encourage long-term deals. After a player is
designated, if a long-term deal is signed by July 15th (4:00pm EST), the Tag then becomes available
