The 2017 NFL season was the 98th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL) and the 52nd of the Super Bowl era. The season began on September 7, 2017, with the Philadelphia Eagles defeating the defending Super Bowl LI champion New England Patriots in the NFL Kickoff Game. The season concluded with Super Bowl LII, in which the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles defeated the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots 41–33 to win their first Super Bowl title, and fourth NFL championship, in franchise history, and making the NFC East the first and currently only division where every team has won a Super Bowl.
For the second time since the league expanded to a 16-game season, a team finished winless in a full season, as Cleveland lost all 16 of their games this season. The last team to do so was the 2008 Detroit Lions.
For the second consecutive year, a team relocated to the Los Angeles metropolitan area, as the former San Diego Chargers announced their intent to do so in January 2017. This was the first time that the Los Angeles metropolitan area had two teams since 1994.
Player movement The 2017 NFL League year began on March 9 at 4:00 p.m. ET. On March 7, clubs were allowed to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the agents of players who became unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their contracts two days later. On March 9, clubs exercised options for 2017 on players who have option clauses in their contracts, submitted qualifying offers to their restricted free agents with expiring contracts and to those who desire to retain a Right of Refusal/Compensation, submitted a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2016 contracts and who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agent credit, and teams were required to be under the salary cap using the "Top-51" definition (in which the 51 highest paid-players on the team's payroll must have a collected salary cap hit below the actual cap). The 2017 trading period also began the same day.
This season's salary cap increased to $167 million per team, up from $155.27 million in 2016.
Free agency A total of 496 players were eligible for some form of free agency at the beginning of the free agency period. Notable players to change teams via free agency included: Quarterbacks Jay Cutler (Chicago to Miami), Brock Osweiler (Houston to Cleveland) Running backs Jamaal Charles (Kansas City to Denver), Eddie Lacy (Green Bay to Seattle), Latavius Murray (Oakland to Minnesota), Adrian Peterson (Minnesota to New Orleans), and Mike Tolbert (Carolina to Buffalo) Wide receivers Kenny Britt (Los Angeles Rams to Cleveland), Pierre Garçon (Washington to San Francisco), DeSean Jackson (Washington to Tampa Bay), Alshon Jeffery (Chicago to Philadelphia), Brandon Marshall (New York Jets to New York Giants), Terrelle Pryor (Cleveland to Washington), Torrey Smith (San Francisco to Philadelphia), and Robert Woods (Buffalo to Los Angeles Rams), Tight ends Martellus Bennett (New England to Green Bay) and Jared Cook (Green Bay to Oakland); Offensive linemen Kelvin Beachum (Jacksonville to New York Jets), Matt Kalil (Minnesota to Carolina), T. J. Lang (Green Bay to Detroit), Ronald Leary (Dallas to Denver), Russell Okung (Denver to Los Angeles Chargers), Riley Reiff (Detroit to Minnesota), Mike Remmers (Carolina to Minnesota), Ricky Wagner (Baltimore to Detroit), Larry Warford (Detroit to New Orleans), Andrew Whitworth (Cincinnati to Los Angeles Rams), and Kevin Zeitler (Cincinnati to Cleveland). Defensive linemen Calais Campbell (Arizona to Jacksonville) and Johnathan Hankins (New York Giants to Indianapolis) Linebackers Jabaal Sheard (New England to Indianapolis), Malcolm Smith (Oakland to San Francisco), and Manti Te'o (Los Angeles Chargers to New Orleans) Defensive backs A. J. Bouye (Houston to Jacksonville), Barry Church (Dallas to Jacksonville), Johnathan Cyprien (Jacksonville to Tennessee), Stephon Gilmore (Buffalo to New England), Micah Hyde (Green Bay to Buffalo), Tony Jefferson (Arizona to Baltimore), and Logan Ryan (New England to Tennessee),
Trades The following notable trades were made during the 2017 league year:
March 9: Jacksonville traded TE Julius Thomas to Miami in exchange for a 2017 seventh-round pick. March 9: Miami traded T Branden Albert to Jacksonville in exchange for a 2018 seventh-round pick. March 9: Houston traded QB Brock Osweiler, a 2018 second-round pick, and a 2017 sixth-round pick to Cleveland in exchange for a 2017 fourth-round pick. March 9: Indianapolis traded TE Dwayne Allen and a 2017 sixth-round pick to New England in exchange for a 2017 fourth-round pick. March 10: New Orleans traded WR Brandin Cooks and a 2017 fourth-round pick to New England in exchange for 2017 first and third-round picks. March 10: Carolina traded DE Kony Ealy and 2017 a third-round pick to New England in exchange for a 2017 second-round pick. March 15: Baltimore traded C Jeremy Zuttah and a 2017 sixth-round pick to San Francisco for a 2017 sixth-round pick. April 4: Baltimore traded DT Timmy Jernigan and a 2017 third-round draft pick to Philadelphia in exchange for a 2017 third-round draft pick. April 26: Seattle traded the contract rights of previously retired RB Marshawn Lynch and a 2018 sixth-round pick to Oakland for a 2018 fifth-round pick. August 11: Buffalo traded WR Sammy Watkins and a 2018 sixth-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Rams for CB E. J. Gaines and a 2018 second-round pick. That same day, the Bills traded cornerback Ronald Darby to the Philadelphia Eagles for wide receiver Jordan Matthews and a 2018 third-round draft pick.
Notable retirements
OT Ryan Clady: Four-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro (two first-team, one second-team), and Super Bowl 50 champion. Played for Denver and the New York Jets during his nine-year career. WR Andre Johnson: Seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro (two first-team, two second-team). Played for the Houston, Indianapolis, and Tennessee during his 14-year career. T Jake Long: Four-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro (one first-team, one second-team), and first overall pick of the 2008 NFL draft. Played for Miami, the St. Louis Rams, Atlanta, and Minnesota during his nine-year career. LB Robert Mathis: Five-time Pro Bowler, two-time All Pro (one first-team, one second-team), and Super Bowl XLI champion. Played for Indianapolis during his entire 14-year career. QB Tony Romo: Four-time Pro Bowler and one-time second-team All-Pro. Played for Dallas during his entire 14-year career. WR Steve Smith Sr.: Five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All Pro (two first-team, one second-team). Played for Carolina and Baltimore during his 16-year career. QB Michael Vick: Four-time Pro Bowler, first overall pick of the 2001 NFL draft, and 2010 Comeback Player of the Year. Played for Atlanta, Philadelphia, the New York Jets, and Pittsburgh during his 13-year career. LB DeMarcus Ware: Nine-time Pro Bowler, seven-time All-Pro (four first-team, three second-team), and Super Bowl 50 champion. Played for Dallas and Denver during his 12-year career. WR Roddy White: Four-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro. Played for Atlanta during his entire 11-year career. DT Vince Wilfork: Five-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro (one first-team, three second-team), and two-time Super Bowl champion (XXXIX and XLIX). Played for New England and Houston during his 13-year career.
Others
Draft
The 2017 NFL draft was held on April 27–29 in Philadelphia. The Cleveland Browns selected Myles Garrett with the first overall pick.
Officiating changes Alberto Riveron replaced Dean Blandino as the league's Vice President of Officiating;Bonesteel, Matt. Alberto Riveron to replace Dean Blandino as NFL's new director of officiating . Chicago Tribune. 25 January 2017. Blandino was hired by Fox Sports as a rule analyst.
The following officials were hired:
Brian Bolinger (Line Judge) Mark Butterworth (Replay Official) Mike Carr (Down Judge) Mike Chase (Replay Official) Ryan Dickson (Field Judge) John McGrath (moved from field to Replay Official) Jimmy Oldham (Replay Official) David Oliver (Line Judge) Mearl Robinson (Field Judge) Brad Rogers (Field Judge) Danny Short (Line Judge) Steve Woods (Umpire)
Rule changes The following rule changes were approved for the 2017 NFL season at the owners' meeting on March 28, 2017: Defensive players are now prohibited from running toward the line of scrimmage and leaping or hurdling over offensive linemen on field goal or PAT attempts, similar to a change made in college football for the 2017 season. Previously this action was permitted as long as the leaper or hurdler did not land on other players. Include in the definition of a "defenseless player" receivers tracking the quarterback or looking back for the ball, including inside the legal contact (5 yards from the line of scrimmage) zone. Egregious hits to the head (similar to the "targeting" rule in NCAA football) will cause the player to risk immediate disqualification. The replay control center will make the final ruling on reviewed plays instead of the game referee, although the referee can still provide input on reviewable plays. The sideline replay monitor (the "hood") will be eliminated and replaced with a tablet on the field for the referee to review with the replay control center. Crackback blocks are now prohibited by a backfield player in motion, even if he is not more than two yards outside the tackle box when the ball is snapped. Make permanent the rule that players who commit two certain types of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties (throwing punches/forearms/kicking, even if they do not connect, directing abusive, threatening, or insulting language toward opponents, teammates, game officials or league officials, and using baiting or taunting acts or words that may engender ill will between teams) in the same game risk automatic disqualification. Extend for a second season the change in the touchback spot after a kickoff or safety free kick to the 25-yard line. Make illegal actions that would conserve time penalized by the option for a 10-second runoff inside of the two-minute warning of each half or overtime (previously this only applied in the final minute of each half or overtime). The 10-second runoff rule for replay reversals applies after the two-minute warning instead of the last minute of the half. If a team commits multiple fouls on the same down with the intent of manipulating the game clock, the team will be penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct and the game clock will be reset. This change was made in response to both the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens employing this strategy by intentionally holding the defensive players to allow the game clock to run down or run out (in the case of the Ravens' game vs. the Cincinnati Bengals) during the previous season. In response to the move of Sarah Thomas from line judge to head linesman for the 2017 season, the NFL renamed the officiating position of the head linesman to "down judge".
The following rule changes were approved for the 2017 NFL season at the NFL Spring League meeting on May 23, 2017: Overtime has been shortened from 15 minutes to 10 minutes for preseason (thru ; no exhibition season in the next) and regular season games. Playoff games will continue to have 15 minutes for overtime periods. Restrictions on celebrations have been relaxed, removing penalties for group celebrations, going to the ground to celebrate, or using the ball as a prop. Teams can bring two players back from injured reserve instead of one. Teams can now cut their preseason rosters from 90 players to 53 on one day, removing the deadline to get the roster down to 75 players before the final preseason game.