Subject to the provisions of Section 5 below and of Article 10, any player with four or more Accrued Seasons shall, at the expiration of his Player Contract, become an Unrestricted Free Agent. Such player shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any Club, and any Club shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with such player, without penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind, subject to the signing period set forth below.

Signing Period.

In the event that an Unrestricted Free Agent has not signed a Player Contract with a Club by July 22 or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later, in the League Year following the expiration of his last Player Contract, he may negotiate or sign a Player Contract from July 22 until the Tuesday following the tenth week of the regular season, at 4:00pm New York time, only with his Prior Club, provided that the Prior Club by the Monday immediately following the final day of the NFL Draft for that League Year has tendered to the player a one year Player Contract of at least 110% of either (a) his Prior Year Salary (if his expiring Player Contract is not a Player Contract he entered into as a Rookie), or (b) his Paragraph 5 Salary (if his expiring Player Contract is a Player Contract he entered into as a Rookie, without renegotiation), in each case with all other terms of his contract identical to his prior year’s contract (the “UFA Tender”). For the purposes of this Subsection, “Prior Year Salary” means the total of the Paragraph 5 Salary, roster and reporting bonuses, pro-rata portion of signing bonus, and other payments to players in compensation for the playing of professional football for the last year of the player’s most recently negotiated Player Contract, except for performance bonuses other than roster and reporting bonuses. Prior Year Salary shall also include any unrepaid loans made, guaranteed or collateralized by a Team or its Team Affiliate to a player or Player Affiliate.

If an Unrestricted Free Agent described in Subsection 1(b)(i) above has not signed a Player Contract by the Tuesday following the tenth week of the regular season, at 4:00pm New York time, the player shall be prohibited from playing football in the NFL for the remainder of that League Year, absent a showing to the Impartial Arbitrator of extreme Club or extreme personal hardship. The determination of the Impartial Arbitrator shall be made within five days of the application and shall be based upon all information relating to such hardship submitted by such date. The determination of the Impartial Arbitrator shall be final and binding upon all parties.

If an Unrestricted Free Agent does not play in the NFL for the remainder of a League Year pursuant to Subsection 1(b)(ii) above, commencing the first day of the following League Year, the player shall be free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any Club, and any Club shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with such player, without penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind, or any signing period.

An NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor representing any player who will become an Unrestricted Free Agent at the end of a League Year upon expiration of the player’s contract with his current Club, shall be permitted to communicate directly with front office officials (excluding the Head Coach and all other members of the Club’s coaching staff) of any or all new NFL Clubs regarding contract negotiations during the 48-hour period immediately prior to the start of the next League Year (the “Two Day Negotiating Period”). During this period, the player’s Certified Contract Advisor may negotiate all aspects of the NFL Player Contract; provided however that the player may not execute an NFL Player Contract until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the first day of the new League Year, when the player’s contract expires.

Any player who will become an Unrestricted Free Agent at the end of a League Year upon expiration of the player’s contract with his current Club, and who is not then represented by an NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor (“Unrepresented Player”), shall be permitted to communicate directly with front office officials (excluding the Head Coach and all other members of the Club’s coaching staff) of any or all new NFL Clubs regarding contract negotiations during the Two Day Negotiating Period. During this period, the player shall have the same communication rights with such persons as in the provision the permits Contract Advisors to discuss contract matters with new Clubs, as set forth in Subsection 1(b)(iv) above. A player shall be considered an “Unrepresented Player” if he is not under contract with a Contract Advisor prior to the start of a League Year and he submits written verification of such status to the NFL and NFLPA no later than five (5) days prior to the start of that League Year. The player may not thereafter hire a Contract Advisor until a period of five (5) days after the start of that League Year, unless he withdraws his request to be designated as an “Unrepresented Player” in writing to the NFL and NFLPA prior to contacting any new Clubs.

In the event that an Unrestricted Free Agent has not signed a Player Contract with a Club by the Monday immediately following the final day of the NFL Draft for that League Year following the expiration of his last Player Contract, and if his Prior Club has not by that date tendered to the player a one year Player Contract in accordance with the requirements of Subsection 1(b)(i) above, or has withdrawn the Tender, the player shall continue to be an Unrestricted Free Agent and shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any Club, and any Club shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with such player, without any penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind, or any signing period.

An Unrestricted Free Agent shall not be subject to any limitations on the period of time before which he may qualify as an Unrestricted Free Agent again, or to any limitations on the number of times he may be an Unrestricted Free Agent.

Promptly upon but no later than two business days after the signing of any Unrestricted Free Agent to a Player Contract, the signing Club shall notify the NFL, which shall notify the NFLPA of such signing.