Football is officially back, everywhere. As of today, July 28, all 32 nfl teams camp today have veterans on-site and training camp is underway league-wide. The final wave of reporting teams, including the Steelers, Eagles, Saints, and Cowboys, checked in this morning, completing the annual transition from offseason speculation to on-field reality. Here is what happens next.
This Week: First Padded Practices
Under CBA rules, teams cannot put on full pads until three days after veterans report. That means the first real contact practices begin later this week for most teams, and by early next week, the genuine evaluation period starts. This is when position battles get physical, when the gap between starters and backups becomes visible, and when the first wave of injuries, inevitably, begins to reshape rosters.
The Road Ahead
From now through August 30, every team will trim its 90-man roster to the 53 players who make the regular season. The Hall of Fame Game on August 6 kicks off the preseason exhibitions, three weeks of games that matter only for the players fighting to survive the cut. Joint practices, where two teams scrimmage together, begin in mid-August and provide the most competitive reps outside of real games.
The regular season opens on Wednesday, September 9 with the Seahawks hosting the Patriots in the Super Bowl LX rematch, followed by the historic Melbourne opener on Thursday, September 10 (Rams vs 49ers on Netflix). For the complete Week 1 slate, see our schedule guide. Full camp updates at NFL.com.
