It feels like only yesterday that the 2024 NFL season culminated, with the Philadelphia Eagles denying their three-peat. However, with the 2025 about to begin, it’s already time to start thinking about the following campaign.
Follow live the 2025 NFL Draft
Over the coming months, the 32 teams in the league will adjust their rosters, making changes to their coaching staff and work on their playing styles to prepare for the football action getting back underway.
Here’s what’s next on the agenda.
What happens next after the Draft?
- May 1: Deadline for teams to exercise fifth-year option for 2022 first-round draft picks. If the option is not activated, their contracts will not be extended by another year.
- May 19, May 27: Three-day rookie minicamps. Teams will hold a three-day rookie camp on the two weekends following the NFL Draft. Each team can only have a minicamp and dates vary by team. The majority of teams begin their rookie minicamps on May 19th, 27th or 28th.
2025 NFL schedule announcment, OTAs, training camp dates
Early/mid May: 2025 NFL schedule announced
May 20-21: Spring League Meeting
End of May/beginning of June: Organized team activities (OTA)
July 15: Franchise tag deadline (4 p.m. ET)
Mid-to-late July: Training camps open
When does the 2025 NFL preseason begin?
The start date of each NFL team’s training camp is determined by when its preseason begins. The first preseason game is the Hall of Fame Game, in which the Detroit Lions playing the Los Angeles Chargers during Enshrinement Week in Canton, Ohio on July 31.
Once that game has been played, the rest of the teams in the NFL usually start their preseasons, which last for three weeks, around 10 days later.
Veteran players can start training camp 15 days before their first preseason game, while rookies have the option to begin training 22 days before their debut game.
When does the 2025 NFL regular season start?
Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles will host the NFL Kickoff Game, the first of the regular season, at Arrowhead Stadium on Sep. 4although their opponents have yet to be determined.
Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens in that particular fixture.
Super Bowl LX will be played on Feb. 8, 2026 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
