2014 NFL season
| Regular season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | September 4 – December 28, 2014 |
| Playoffs | |
| Start date | January 3, 2015 |
| AFC Champions | New England Patriots |
| NFC Champions | Seattle Seahawks |
| Super Bowl XLIX | |
| Date | February 1, 2015 |
| Site | University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona |
| Champions | New England Patriots |
| Pro Bowl | |
| Date | January 25, 2015 |
| Site | University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona |
 2014 NFL Season Review Infographic, Dish Network, retrieved February 12, 2015
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The 2014 NFL season was the 95th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL). The season began on Thursday, September 4, 2014, with the annual kickoff game featuring the defending Super Bowl XLVIII champion Seattle Seahawks hosting the Green Bay Packers, which resulted with the Seahawks winning 36-16. The season concluded with Super Bowl XLIX, the league's championship game, on Sunday, February 1, 2015, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with the New England Patriots defeating the Seattle Seahawks 28–24.
The 2014 league year began at 4 pm EST on March 11, which marked the start of the league's free agency period. The per-team salary cap was set at US$133 million, a $10 million increase from the previous year. The so-called "legal tampering" period during which time agents representing prospective unrestricted free agent players (though not the players themselves) were allowed to have contact with team representatives with the purpose of determining a player's market value and to begin contract negotiations, began at noon (EST) on March 8.
A total of 471 players were eligible for some form of free agency at the beginning of the free agency period. In addition, a number of highly paid players were released after the start of the league year to allow their teams to regain space under the salary cap. Among the high-profile players who changed teams via free agency were cornerbacks Darrelle Revis (left the Buccaneers, joined the Patriots), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (from Broncos to Giants), Aqib Talib (from Patriots to Broncos) and Alterraun Verner (from Titans to Buccaneers); safeties Jairus Byrd (from Bills to Saints) and T. J. Ward (from Browns to Broncos); defensive ends DeMarcus Ware (from Cowboys to Broncos), Lamarr Houston (from Raiders to Bears), Willie Young (from Lions to Bears) and Michael Johnson (from Bengals to Buccaneers); offensive tackles Jared Veldheer (from Raiders to Cardinals) and Branden Albert (from Chiefs to Dolphins); defensive tackle Jason Hatcher (from Cowboys to Redskins); wide receivers DeSean Jackson (Eagles to Redskins), Golden Tate (Seahawks to Lions), Steve Smith (Panthers to Ravens), and Eric Decker (from Broncos to Jets); and linebacker Karlos Dansby (from Cardinals to Browns).
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