🏈 NFL Schedule & Key Dates for 2026-27 Season: When is NFL Training Camp?

We're breaking down the NFL schedule and key dates for the offseason.

Last Updated: May 12, 2026 9:26 AM EDT • 4 minute read

Pictured: Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love (4) at rookie minicamp, as we break down the NFL schedule and key dates for the offseason. Photo by Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.

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With the NFL offseason well underway, and free agency and the NFL draft in the rearview mirror, we're looking at the rest of the 2026-27 NFL schedule and key dates as training camp approaches.

Here's a look at the NFL offseason schedule and key dates for the new league year:

📅 NFL offseason key dates & deadlines

Here's an updated look of the full NFL offseason key dates and deadlines:

February

Feb. 17: Clubs may begin designating Franchise or Transition Players (through March 3)
Feb. 23 - March 2: NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, Ind.)

March

March 3: Deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players (4 p.m. ET)
March 9-11: Legal tampering period - teams may contact pending unrestricted free agents
March 11: 2026 League Year begins; free agency signing period starts (4 p.m. ET)
March 29 - April 1: Annual League Meeting (Phoenix, Ariz.)

April

April 15: Deadline for clubs to visit, interview, or conduct physicals with draft-eligible players
April 17: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets
April 20: Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs
April 22: Deadline for prior club to exercise right of first refusal on restricted free agents
April 23-25: 2026 NFL Draft

May

May 1: Deadline for clubs to exercise Fifth-Year Option for players selected in first round of 2023 Draft
May 1-4 or May 8-11: Teams permitted to hold one three-day post-Draft rookie minicamp
May 14: 2026 NFL Schedule Release

July

Mid-July: Rookie training camps begin (seven days before veteran reporting date)
July 15: Deadline to sign extension for franchise tag players (4 p.m. ET)
Mid-to-late July: Veteran training camps begin

August

Aug. 31: Rosters must be cut to 53 players (4 p.m. ET)

September

Sept. 10: NFL Kickoff Game

💪 When are NFL training camps?

NFL training camps for the 2026 season are expected to begin in mid-to-late July, as is the usual tradition for the league. Rookie players report approximately seven days before veteran players.

Veteran reporting dates generally fall between July 20-25, with the exact dates varying by team. The league allows clubs with returning head coaches to begin offseason workout programs on April 20.

Key training camp dates:

Mid-July: Rookies report (typically 7 days before veterans)
Late July: Veterans report
July 15: Deadline to sign franchise tag player extensions

📋 When does NFL preseason start 2026-27?

The NFL preseason will kick off in early-to-mid August with the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 6. The rest of the preseason will begin approximately one week later and extend for three weeks before a one-week break ahead of Week 1.

⏳ When does football season start 2026-27?

The 2026 NFL regular season will begin on Thursday, Sept. 10, with the NFL Kickoff Game featuring the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

The first Sunday of the 2026 NFL season is scheduled for Sept. 13, while the Monday Night Football season opener will be on Sept. 14.

🌍 NFL International Games 2026

The NFL's push to expand its international footprint continues in 2026 with nine international games planned across four continents. The league has already announced games in London (x3), Paris, Madrid, Munich, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, and Melbourne.

We'll learn the full schedule and details for all nine international games later this summer, with the NFL schedule release expected to be on Thursday, May 14.

🦃 When are NFL Thanksgiving games?

The annual NFL Thanksgiving games will take place on Thursday, Nov. 26, and will feature three games - two of which will include the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions, who traditionally play every year on the holiday.

🎄 When are NFL Christmas games?

The annual NFL Christmas games will take place on Thursday, Dec. 25. The slate of Christmas Day games will be announced when the full NFL schedule is released in May.

🆚 When do the 2026-27 NFL playoffs start?

The 2026-27 NFL playoffs will start on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2027, with the wild-card round lasting through Monday, Jan. 18. That will be followed by the NFL Divisional Round on Jan. 23-24 and the NFL Conference Championships on Sunday, Jan. 31.

Here's an early look at the 2026-27 NFL playoff schedule:

Wild Card Round: Jan. 16-18, 2027
Divisional Round: Jan. 23-24, 2027
Conference Championships: Jan. 31, 2027
Super Bowl 61: Feb. 14, 2027

🏆 When is the 2027 Super Bowl?

Super Bowl 61 is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. This will mark the first time the Super Bowl has been played on Valentine's Day, and it will also be the latest Super Bowl ever on the calendar.

Here's an early look at the details for Super Bowl 2027:

Date: Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET (expected)
Location: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, Calif.)
TV: TBD

📺 When is the 2026 NFL schedule released?

The full 2026 NFL schedule, including dates and times for all 272 regular-season games, is expected to be released on Thursday, May 14.

If last year serves as an example, we can expect the schedule to be announced at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network and ESPN, with individual teams typically beginning to release their schedules on social media in the hours before the league-wide announcement.

In the 24-48 hours leading up to the official release, certain marquee matchups may be announced or leaked, including:

Season opener featuring the defending Super Bowl champion
Week 1 games
Super Bowl rematch
International games
Thanksgiving and Christmas games

❓ 2026-27 NFL schedule FAQs

When does the 2026-27 season start?

The 2026 NFL season will start on Thursday, Sept. 10, with the NFL Kickoff Game.

When do the 2026-27 NFL playoffs start?

The 2026-27 NFL playoffs will start with the Wild Card Round on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2027.

When is the 2027 Super Bowl?

Super Bowl 2027 is on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. This will be the first Super Bowl played on Valentine's Day.

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Written by:
C Jackson Cowart

C Jackson Cowart is the Senior Publishing Editor at Sportsbook Review, specializing in NFL and NASCAR betting while helping lead the team's coverage of college sports and major events like the Super Bowl and March Madness. In his seven years covering sports betting as a predictive analyst, features writer, and industry reporter, he has stayed true to "process over results" while specifically targeting futures betting and news-driven markets, where he can lean on advanced metrics and an understanding of market psychology to attack value before the number moves. His favorite sportsbook is FanDuel for its clean interface and ease of use, though he finds some of his best value bets at Caesars and bet365, especially for NASCAR. An award-winning writer and editor with a decade of experience in sports media, "C-Jax" has worked with ESPN, Forbes, theScore, and multiple large daily newspapers before joining SBR in 2023. He's a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina, where he covered the Tar Heels' championship run through the 2017 NCAA men's basketball tournament. He's cashed some big tickets over the years — including Lamar Jackson to win MVP (twice) — but he's still haunted by enough second-place slips to wallpaper his home office.

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