The NFL offseason is slowly but surely coming to a close. On July 17th, the Seattle Seahawks’ rookies will take the field for training camp, and within the days that follow, so will the rest of the NFL.

The start of training camp signals the end of the offseason in the NFL. Are there any games on? No, but reporters and fans are allowed to go to practices almost daily, and we really start to get an idea of how every team is going to look in the upcoming season.

Since training camps are starting this week, I figured it would be a good time to craft a training camp guide. From every team’s start dates to some key rookies to watch, here’s everything you need to know about training camp.

What is NFL Training Camp?

For those of you who are new to the NFL or just never really paid attention to the offseason, NFL training camp is the main offseason practice for each team. There are OTAs (Organized Team Activities), but those are optional, so training camp is the first time you’re guaranteed to have the entire team together for practice.

While the rookies and new free agent additions get the playbook beforehand, training camp is also the first time the newcomers really get a chance to gel with their new teammates and coaches and get a firm grasp on the playbook.

Typically, an NFL training camp lasts three to four weeks, and while some teams bunker down in their million-dollar training facilities, some teams like to get out and hold their training camp in a different location.

On top of that, most teams partake in joint practices at some point during training camp. One team will travel to the other’s training camp facility, and they’ll spend four days together going through various drills.

Training camp is the last opportunity for players and coaches to get together and practice for about a month straight before the start of the preseason. While there are no games going on during this time (outside of the Hall of Fame Game), training camp signals the start of the NFL season.

When Does Training Camp Start?

There isn’t one set date for the start of training camp. They all start in late July, but each team can choose its own start date, and most of them will have their rookies report before their veterans, to give their older players some extra time off.

We do, however, know the start dates for every team. Here’s a list of when every team will kick off training camp this year:

Arizona Cardinals: July 22nd (rookies and veterans)

Atlanta Falcons: July 24th (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Baltimore Ravens: July 24th (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Buffalo Bills: July 21st (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Carolina Panthers: July 21st (rookies), July 22nd (veterans)

Chicago Bears: July 25th (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Cincinnati Bengals: July 25th (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Cleveland Browns: July 23rd (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Dallas Cowboys: July 28th (rookies and veterans)

Denver Broncos: July 22nd (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Detroit Lions: July 25th (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Green Bay Packers: July 27th (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Houston Texans: July 21st (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Indianapolis Colts: July 27th (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Jacksonville Jaguars: July 25th (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Kansas City Chiefs: July 24th (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Las Vegas Raiders: July 23rd (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Los Angeles Chargers: July 23rd (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Los Angeles Rams: July 25th (rookies and veterans)

Miami Dolphins: July 21st (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Minnesota Vikings: July 26th (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

New England Patriots: July 21st (rookies), July 24th (veterans)

New Orleans Saints: July 28th (rookies and veterans)

New York Giants: July 23rd (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

New York Jets: July 25th (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Philadelphia Eagles: July 28th (rookies and veterans)

Pittsburgh Steelers: July 28th (rookies and veterans)

San Francisco 49ers: July 18th (rookies), July 25th (veterans)

Seattle Seahawks: July 17th (rookies), July 24th (veterans)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: July 27th (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Tennessee Titans: July 23rd (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Washington Commanders: July 24th (rookies), July 28th (veterans)

Quarterback Battles to Watch

NFL training camp is where position battles are won or lost. Across the league, on every single team, there will be at least one position with a starting spot up for grabs, but obviously, the ones that get the most attention are the quarterback battles.

Usually, teams have a very good idea of who their quarterback is going to be entering the season, but this offseason, there are four teams that have legit QB battles coming up in training camp. From the Minnesota Vikings to the Las Vegas Raiders, let’s take a look at some of the QB battles you need to watch for.

J.J. McCarthy vs Kyler Murray

The first, and arguably biggest, quarterback battle this offseason is J.J. McCarthy vs Kyler Murray. The Vikings were a borderline playoff team last year that had a top-10 defense, but they missed the playoffs largely due to poor quarterback play. Kevin O’Connell’s solution was to sign Kyler Murray to a one-year deal to either be the starter, but if not, at least he can push J.J. McCarthy to be better.

Murray is the more experienced player with the higher floor, but McCarthy has been in the system and played with these receivers for two years now. We’ll see who comes out on top, but it should be incredibly interesting.

Michael Penix Jr. vs Tua Tagovailoa

The Atlanta Falcons also have a QB competition brewing. Their third-year quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., hasn’t lived up to expectations so far and is coming off a torn ACL, so new head coach Kevin Stefanski signed Tua Tagovailoa in free agency to come in and compete.

I think Penix has gotten a bit of a bad rep so far. I think he’s played pretty well when he’s been on the field, but he’s dealt with a lot of injuries in his short career that have limited him. Now, with a new coach who came in and immediately signed a different quarterback, I don’t feel great about his future.

Shedeur Sanders vs Deshaun Watson

This is the one that a lot of people will have their eyes on. Despite Shedeur Sanders not really playing well last year outside of one game, he still has a ton of fans who want to see him start, but he’s going to have to beat out Deshaun Watson if he wants the starting gig.

Watson was great early in his career, but ever since he was traded to Cleveland and went through his whole sexual assault ordeal, his play has fallen off, and he’s torn his Achilles twice. However, he still seems to be the frontrunner to start for incoming head coach, Todd Monken.

Will Sanders’s clout be enough to help him jump Watson on the depth chart? We’ll see in training camp.

Kirk Cousins vs Fernando Mendoza

This one is only half a battle. Everyone knows the Raiders want to start Kirk Cousins in Week 1, and preferably for most of the season, but it will still be very interesting to see how Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick, stacks up against his veteran teammate.

Even if there’s a zero percent chance Mendoza starts right away, it’s still going to be a battle. Cousins will want to hold onto his starting job for as long as possible, but if Mendoza is outperforming him in practice right away, he may only have that starting job for a brief period of time.

This is the battle I’m most interested in, even though it’s the one with the fewest Week 1 implications. I just want to know how Mendoza will perform at the NFL level.

Rookies to Pay Attention To

We already talked about Fernando Mendoza a little bit, so I’ll keep him off of this list, but there are still plenty of other rookies that are extremely intriguing this summer.

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Arizona Cardinals

Jeremiyah Love is the heavy favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year this season, and it’s easy to see why. The former Notre Dame star rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns last season while racking up 280 receiving yards with three more scores. He was the third overall pick in the draft this year, but he lands in a bit of an awkward situation.

While the Arizona Cardinals have playmakers on offense with guys like Trey McBride, Michael Wilson, and Marvin Harrison Jr., they don’t have much up front. Their offensive line was one of the worst in the league last year, and while they added Isaac Seumalo, I don’t know if he’s going to change the entire identity of this offensive line.

It will be hard to get a grasp on just how good or bad this offensive line is in training camp, but we’ll at least get a glimpse of how the OROY favorite looks in Cardinal red.

Caleb Downs, S, Dallas Cowboys

Caleb Downs was my No. 1 overall player in the NFL Draft, and he somehow fell out of the top-10 and right into the Dallas Cowboys’ lap. He is exactly the kind of player they needed on that defense. He has the ability to play free safety, but he can also come down and play in the slot, which is what we’re going to see him do a lot of as a rookie. He’s also a terrific run defender. He can do it all, and Dallas needed a do-it-all guy in their secondary.

With Christian Parker, the guy who helped construct one of the best secondaries in football in Philly, taking over play-calling, I have extremely high expectations for Downs this season. So, of course, he’s one of the players I’m excited to watch in training camp.

Carnell Tate, WR, Tennessee Titans

Cam Ward made incredible plays last season, but struggled behind a bad offensive line with poor weapons.. Well, now he has a (hopefully) improved offensive line, better weapons, and a much better play caller.

One of those new weapons is Carnell Tate, the No. 4 overall pick in the draft. Coming out of Ohio State, he was my WR3, but I still think he’s a fantastic player who’s going to fit into Brian Daboll’s offense perfectly. I’m very interested to see how he performs in training camp, because if he and Ward can build a quick connection, Tate could be a 1,000-yard receiver as a rookie.

Arvell Reese, LB, New York Giants

Arvell Reese is one of the most versatile defenders in this rookie class. He can play off-ball linebacker as well as anyone else, but he can also line up off the edge and rush the passer. And that’s exactly why I’m excited to watch him in training camp. How is New York going to use him?

Reese wants to be an edge rusher – largely because they make way more money than off-ball linebackers – but the Giants already have Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux. I know Kayvon might be on his way out sooner than later, but Reese still has two elite edge rushers ahead of him on the depth chart.

I think Reese is going to be used primarily as an off-ball linebacker, but he’s still going to be given opportunities to rush the passer. I just want to see what they do with him in training camp and see if they give us a hint at his role in this defense in 2026.

Sonny Styles, LB, Washington Commanders

Sonny Styles lit up the NFL Combine with a 43.5-inch vertical, an 11-foot, 2-inch broad jump, and a 4.46-second 40-yard dash. He was drafted seventh overall because of his athleticism, so I want to see how he’s going to translate to the NFL.

I’m not saying Styles was a bad college player, because he was great, but if it weren’t for that showing at the combine, he was going in the middle of the first round. Off-ball linebackers can usually adjust to the NFL pretty quickly, but Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders’ offense is going to do their best to give him some problems early.

How fast will Styles adapt to the NFL? That’s my main question.