What is NFL training camp, and what does it entail? How long is it, and how do players get paid? Here’s everything you need to know about training camp and what goes on behind the scenes.
What Are NFL Training Camps?
Simply put, training camp is a designated time before the regular season when teams come together and prepare for the new year as one unit.
Throughout the offseason, there are voluntary organized team activities (OTA) and mandatory minicamps that allow players and coaches to train together. However, training camp signals the real start of the new season. Once the pads are on, players and coaches can really get to work.
For veterans, it’s back to the grind, as they are familiar with training camp and what it entails. But for rookies and newcomers, it’s a period to acclimate themselves to new teammates and adapt to their surroundings.
How Do NFL Training Camps Work?
Each team’s training camp is unique, with the coaching staff determining the structure and what it will entail. Some coaches are known for having a brutal camp that pushes players really hard, while others go much easier on their team.
With that said, training camp boils down to a few basic ideas. Typically, the first few days feature physicals, meetings, and classroom instruction. Early on, there’s usually a lot of conditioning work so the players can get back in shape. After the first week, the helmets and pads come on, and that’s when players start going full speed during drills.
When Do NFL’s Training Camps Start?
Teams reconvene in the back half of July. Below is a list of every NFL team’s training camp schedule.
Arizona Cardinals
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Report Date: July 23
First Practice: July 25
Atlanta Falcons
Location: Seckinger High School, Buford, Ga.
Report Date: July 24
First Practice: July 27
Baltimore Ravens
Location: Under Armour Performance Center, Owings Mills, Md.
Rookie Report Date: July 13
Veteran Report Date: July 20
Practice Dates: July 21 to Aug. 15
Buffalo Bills
Location: St. John Fisher University, Rochester, N.Y.
Rookie Report Date: July 16
Veteran Report Date: July 23
Practice Dates: July 24 to Aug. 8
Carolina Panthers
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
Rookie Report Date: July 19
Veteran Report Date: July 23
Practice Dates: July 25 to Aug. 14
Back Together Weekend: July 27
Chicago Bears
Location: Halas Hall, Lake Forest, Ill.
Rookie Report Date: July 16
Veteran Report Date: July 19
Practice Dates: July 27 to Aug. 15
Cincinnati Bengals
Location: Kettering Health Practice Fields, Cincinnati, Ohio
Rookie Report Date: July 20
Veteran Report Date: July 23
Practice Dates: July 24 to Aug. 20
Back Together Weekend: July 28
Cleveland Browns
Location: Greenbrier Resort, White Sulphur Springs, W.V.
Rookie Report Date: July 22
Veteran Report Date: July 23
Dallas Cowboys
Location: River Ridge Playing Fields, Oxnard, Calif.
Report Date: July 24
Practice Dates: July 25 to Aug. 22
Denver Broncos
Location: Centura Health Training Center, Englewood, Colo.
Rookie Report Date: July 17
Veteran Report Date: July 23
First Practice: July 26
Detroit Lions
Location: Lions Headquarters and Training Facility, Allen Park, Mich.
Rookie Report Date: July 20
Veteran Report Date: July 23
Practice Dates: July 27 to Aug. 14
Back Together Weekend: July 27
Green Bay Packers
Location: Ray Nitschke Field, Green Bay, Wis.
Rookie Report Date: July 17
Veteran Report Date: July 21
Practice Dates: July 22 to Aug. 22
Houston Texans
Location: Houston Methodist Training Center, Houston, Texas
Report Date: July 17
Practice Dates: July 23 to Aug. 22
Indianapolis Colts
Location: Grand Park Sports Complex, Westfield, Ind.
Report Date: July 24
Practice Dates: July 25 – Aug. 15
Jacksonville Jaguars
Location: Miller Electric Center, Jacksonville, Fla.
Rookie Report Date: July 19
Veteran Report Date: July 23
Kansas City Chiefs
Location: Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, Mo.
Rookie Report Date: July 16
Veteran Report Date: July 20
Practice Dates: July 21 to Aug. 15
Las Vegas Raiders
Location: Jack Hammett Sports Complex, Costa Mesa, Calif.
Rookie Report Date: July 21
Veteran Report Date: July 23
First Practice: July 24
Los Angeles Chargers
Location: Chargers Training Facility, El Segundo, Calif.
Rookie Report Date: July 16
Veteran Report Date: July 23
First Practice: July 24
Los Angeles Rams
Location: Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, Calif.
Report Date: July 23
First Practice: July 25
Practice Dates: July 25 – August 3
Miami Dolphins
Location: Baptist Health Training Complex, Miami Gardens, Fla.
Rookie Report Date: July 16
Veteran Report Date: July 23
Practice Dates: July 28 to Aug. 15
Minnesota Vikings
Location: Twin Cities Orthopedic Center, Eagan, Minn.
Rookie Report Date: July 21
Veteran Report Date: July 23
Practice Dates: July 27 to Aug. 8
New England Patriots
Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
Rookie Report Date: July 19
Veteran Report Date: July 23
Practice Dates: July 24 to Aug. 13
New Orleans Saints
Location: Crawford Field of UC Irvine, Irvine, Calif.
Rookie Report Date: July 16
Veteran Report Date: July 23
First Practice: July 24
New York Giants
Location: Quest Diagnostics Center, East Rutherford, N.J.
Rookie Report Date: July 16
Veteran Report Date: July 23
First Practice: July 24
New York Jets
Location: Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, Florham Park, N.J.
Rookie Report Date: July 18
Veteran Report Date: July 23
Practice Dates: July 27 to Aug. 22
Philadelphia Eagles
Location: NovaCare Complex, Philadelphia, Pa.
Report Date: July 23
First Practice: July 24
Pittsburgh Steelers
Location: Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa.
Report Date: July 24
Practice Dates: July 25 to Aug. 14
San Francisco 49ers
Location: SAP Performance Facility, Santa Clara, Calif.
Rookie Report Date: July 16
Veteran Report Date: July 23
Seattle Seahawks
Location: Virginia Mason Athletic Center, Renton, Wash.
Rookie Report Date: July 17
Veteran Report Date: July 23
First Practice: July 24
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Location: AdventHealth Training Center, Tampa, Fla.
Rookie Report Date: July 22
Veteran Report Date: July 23
First Practice: July 24
Tennessee Titans
Location: Ascension Sports Park, Nashville, Tenn.
Report Date: July 23
First Practice: July 23
Washington Commanders
Location: OrthoVirginia Training Center, Ashburn, Va.
Rookie Report Date: July 18
Veteran Report Date: July 23
Practice Dates: July 24 to Aug. 23
Back Together Weekend: July 28
Each year, the Hall of Fame Game kicks off the NFL preseason. The Chicago Bears and Houston Texans will face off in this year’s Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 1, so they will be the first two teams to report to training camp. The Texans report on July 17, while the Bears report on July 19. From there, the rest of the league will join them over the following week.
How Long Are NFL Training Camps?
While the ramp-up period for the NFL can feel like a long time before Week 1, NFL training camps are typically only two weeks long.
This has changed in recent years as the NFL’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) focuses on protecting players, which has limited the time for training camp.
Teams will use training camp to prepare for the preseason, install schemes, evaluate position battles, work on conditioning, and more. Once camp ends, there’s a change in tempo and demeanor on the practice field.
Are Training Camps Mandatory?
Yes, there is no way around it — training camp is mandatory. With it signaling the start of the new season for every team, not showing up for training camp would be like not showing up for your first day of work.
Furthermore, the new CBA has made it incredibly difficult for players who are looking to “hold out,” no matter the reason. The fines are hefty, and even though that used to be a negotiating practice by players looking to be paid, those days are all but over now.
Do NFL Players Get Paid For Attending Training Camps?
According to Article 23 of the CBA, veteran players are entitled to per diem payments beginning on the first day of training camp and ending on the final day. In this case, a veteran is defined as a player with at least one season of credited service.
In 2024, veteran players will earn $3,200 per week during training camp. That will increase to $3,500 during the 2025 and 2026 league years.
Meanwhile, first-year NFL players will receive a weekly rate of $1,850 in 2023 and 2024. That will jump to $2,000 per week in 2025 and 2026.
How Many NFL Players Are Cut After Training Camp?
Entering training camp, teams can have up to 90 players on their roster. However, they must trim their roster down to 53 players by cutdown day. Teams can carry 16 players on their practice squad, so some of the individuals who get cut will be retained as part of the practice squad.
Teams spend all of training camp and the preseason evaluating their players, and then the front office and coaching staff must make these tough decisions prior to Week 1 of the regular season. During the 2024 season, roster cutdown day is Aug. 27 at 4 p.m. ET.