NEW YORK, NY. – As summer approaches, the NFL offseason is beginning to heat up. Organized Team Activities (OTAs) are in full swing, mandatory minicamps are scheduled across the league, and training camps are now just around the corner. For football fans and players alike, the return of on-field action is becoming more real by the day.

A Structured Offseason: Phase by Phase

The NFL’s offseason workout program is broken down into three distinct phases as outlined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). These stages gradually ease players back into football shape while limiting contact and competition to reduce injury risk.

• Phase One (first two weeks) is focused exclusively on strength and conditioning, physical rehabilitation, and team meetings. No on-field football activity takes place.
• Phase Two (next three weeks) introduces walk-through pace drills, with individual and group instruction. Players line up across from their position counterparts, but live contact and full-speed competition remain prohibited.
• Phase Three (final four weeks) is when teams can host up to 10 OTA sessions. These include 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills—but still no live tackling. During this period, each team is allowed one mandatory minicamp for veterans, a key milestone before training camp.

Key Dates Approaching

Most teams began their offseason workout programs in April, with rookie minicamps held in early May. OTAs are now well underway, with several clubs scheduled to wrap them up in mid-June.

Mandatory minicamps for veterans, often seen as the unofficial prelude to training camp, are set to run throughout June. For example:

• The New York Giants will hold mandatory minicamp on June 17–18.
• The Philadelphia Eagles conduct theirs on June 10.
• The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs wrap up offseason activities with late minicamps from June 17–19.

Meanwhile, the Rookie Readiness Program, which is a late-June orientation series at individual clubs, will help incoming players gear up for their first NFL training camp.

Training Camp Looms Large

Training camp is when football truly ramps up. Though official start dates vary slightly from team to team, most rookies will report in mid-July, with veterans arriving shortly afterward. Per league rules, rookies can be required to report seven days before the veteran mandatory reporting date.

Veteran quarterbacks and injured players can arrive up to five days early as well, giving coaching staffs extra time to work with key personnel before full-squad practices begin.

July 15 also marks an important contractual deadline. It is the final day for franchise-tagged players to sign long-term extensions. After that, any unsigned franchise players must play the season on a one-year deal.

Final Stretch Before Football Returns

While there’s still over a month before pads start popping in training camp, the window is narrowing fast. Teams are finalizing rosters, installing playbooks, and evaluating young talent during OTAs and minicamps. From strength sessions in Phase One to the intricate 11-on-11s of Phase Three, the foundation for the 2025 season is being laid right now.

For fans, it means football is finally within reach. The long wait of the offseason is almost over. Training camp is coming—and with it, the first real signs of the NFL’s return.