1994 NFL offseason
Deion tilts the NFC
Deion Sanders joined San Francisco after a delayed free-agent courtship, while the league's new cap intensified roster churn.
Why this window matters
#7 in the Sportsboxd NFL offseasons ranking
Sanders won Defensive Player of the Year and helped the 49ers finally break through Dallas on the way to Super Bowl XXIX.
In the order it happened
The transaction timeline
Major signings, trades and roster decisions are ordered by announcement or completion date. Open linked trades for the original package and every downstream asset.
March · League change
The salary-cap era begins
Teams navigated the first offseason under the cap, adding a new constraint to the recently created free-agent market.
Spring · Free agency
Ken Norton Jr. crosses from Dallas to San Francisco
The linebacker moved directly between the NFC's leading rivals and strengthened a defense built to beat the Cowboys.
September 15 · Free agency
Deion Sanders chooses the 49ers
The reigning baseball-football star joined San Francisco late and became the decisive addition to its championship defense.
Week 3 · Immediate impact
The new defense begins changing the NFC race
Sanders and Norton gave San Francisco the matchup answers it had lacked in consecutive postseason losses to Dallas.