<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> <Ul> <Li> ← 2017 </Li> <Li> NFL seasons </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> ← 2017 </Li> <Li> NFL seasons </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> The 2018 NFL season is the 99th season of the National Football League (NFL). The season began on September 6, 2018 with the NFL Kickoff Game with the defending Super Bowl LII champion Philadelphia Eagles defeating the Atlanta Falcons 18--12 . The season will conclude with Super Bowl LIII, the league's championship game, on February 3, 2019 at Mercedes - Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia . </P> <P> The 2018 NFL League year and trading period began on March 14 . On March 9, clubs were allowed to exercise options for 2018 on players who have option clauses in their contracts, submit qualifying offers to their pending restricted free agents and submit a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2017 contracts and who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agent credit . 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 combined salary cap hit below the actual cap). On March 12, clubs were allowed to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the agents of players who were set to become unrestricted free agents . </P>

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