NFL Offseason Schedule 2026: OTAs, Minicamps, Training Camp and Key NFL Dates

At Fantasy Alarm, fantasy football season never really ends. Between our dynasty fantasy football rankings and our early 2026 Best Ball Cheat Sheet, we really don’t stop competing to win championships. But we have to admit that, now that the 2026 NFL Draft is in the books and the full 2026 NFL schedule has been released, things are REALLY starting to heat up. And our NFL Offseason Schedule for 2026 has finally come into shape.

The NFL news and rumors that come out over the next couple of months are going to dictate everything for our fantasy football rankings. So it’s important that you know the NFL offseason schedule for important dates coming up. When do NFL OTAs start in 2026? When are the NFL mandatory mini-camps? When does NFL training camp start? Which teams are doing joint practices ahead of pre-season games? We’ll answer all those questions here in our NFL offseason schedule tracker, where we’ll update more key NFL dates as they are released!

2026 Full NFL Schedule and Bye Weeks

The full NFL schedule is out for each team already, meaning it’s time to dig into the analysis for our fantasy football leagues. At Fantasy Alarm, we’ve already analyzed the Biggest Winners and Losers. Our own Howard Bender has looked at how the bye weeks will influence your fantasy football drafts. And our best tool regarding the schedule, one you’ll want to reference all year long during your matchups (especially fantasy playoffs), is our NFL Strength of Schedule Tool. There, you can sort fantasy matchups, not only by overall strength, but also for rushing and passing as well. So make sure you are up to speed there, especially for early best ball, where the schedule is incredibly important!

NFL OTAs Schedule 2026

There are a lot of types of practices as part of the NFL offseason schedule, with NFL organized team activities (OTAs) being the first big one. Most teams have NFL OTAs in 2026, starting in mid-to-late May, with a couple not beginning until June. Each team has 10 days of OTAs that they can spread out over May and early June as they please, with some days off in between. Here is the full list of dates for NFL organized team activities (OTAs) in 2026. 

NFL Mandatory Minicamp Dates 2026

Most teams hold mandatory minicamp for three consecutive days in the first or second week of June. Many teams are holding theirs from June 9-11, with some variation into mid-June (full detailed schedules for all teams are available in the official NFL announcement). Here’s the full list of dates. 

NFL Franchise Tag Deadline 2026

Teams have placed the franchise tag on prospective players. But that doesn’t mean they have all signed. So you may be wondering when the NFL franchise tag deadline is for 2026. Per the NFL, teams that franchise-tagged players have until July 15th to sign them to a multi-year deal. Otherwise, they either need to play on the franchise tag or a negotiated one-year deal (like Josh Jacobs did in 2024).

NFL Training Camp Reporting Dates 2026

This is the heart of the NFL offseason schedule. Training camp is when EVERYONE is together, battling it out - both rookies and veterans alike. NFL training camp reporting dates have not been released yet for 2026. Typically, rookies report in mid-July (sometimes as early as a week before veterans) with most veterans reporting in late July. We will update this section when those are available. 

NFL Preseason Schedule and Hall of Fame Game 2026 

The 2026 Hall of Fame Game is scheduled for Thursday, August 6th, in Canton, Ohio, between the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals. The rest of the preseason games will take place in August, starting on August 13th. The full NFL Schedule can be found here. Around half the teams also schedule joint practices, which typically begin in early to mid-August.

NFL Joint Practice Schedule

There are always some interesting highlights from NFL joint practices. And often some interesting skirmishes as well, as players battle for spots. So you may be wondering when NFL joint practices start and who is set to practice with whom. Here’s the info we have so far from around the NFL:

Confirmed:

• The Minnesota Vikings will host the Baltimore Ravens for two days of joint practices on August 19-20.
• The Washington Commanders will host the Miami Dolphins on August 12.
• The Baltimore Ravens will host the Washington Commanders on August 26.
• The Houston Texans will host the Las Vegas Raiders ahead of their Aug. 20 preseason game at NRG Stadium.
• The Tennessee Titans will host the Carolina Panthers ahead of their Week 2 preseason game.

Also planned:

• The New England Patriots will host the Philadelphia Eagles (date TBD).
• The Carolina Panthers have joint practices scheduled with the Jacksonville Jaguars (Jaguars hosting, around Aug. 19) and the Houston Texans.

Note: The Detroit Lions have announced they are opting out of joint practices for the 2026 training camp, calling them “counterproductive” in recent years.

When Does The 2026 NFL Season Start?

The first NFL game will kick off on Wednesday, September 9th, with the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks hosting the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl rematch. The Super Bowl-winning team hosts the first game of the season every year, with the two exceptions in recent history being the 2013 Baltimore Ravens starting their season on the road after winning the Super Bowl due to a scheduling conflict with the Baltimore Orioles (the Ravens lost that game) and when the NFL celebrated its 100th season by opening with the Chicago Bears hosting the Green Bay Packers.