Offseason programs begin
- Multiple NFL teams officially opened offseason programs on April 20, with players reporting to facilities. - The Vikings opened voluntary workouts with Justin Jefferson present, while the Jaguars and 49ers also reconvened this week. - Teams will phase into on‑field work in later phases, with Jaguars' OTAs scheduled to begin May 26. (vikings.com) (jaguarswire.usatoday.com) (49erswebzone.com)
NFL teams began reopening their buildings Monday, April 20, as the league’s voluntary offseason programs started for clubs with returning head coaches. (operations.nfl.com) The National Football League’s offseason program runs nine weeks under the collective bargaining agreement. Phase One lasts two weeks and allows only meetings, strength and conditioning, and injury rehab — no on-field team drills yet. (operations.nfl.com) In Minnesota, players reported Monday to Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, and coach Kevin O’Connell said Justin Jefferson was among the veterans in the building for the first day. (vikings.com) O’Connell opened the program three days before the 2026 NFL Draft, which begins April 23, giving the Vikings a first full team checkpoint of the spring before rookies arrive. (vikings.com) (operations.nfl.com) Jacksonville also started April 20. The Jaguars’ published schedule sets organized team activities for May 26, May 28-29, June 1-2, June 4 and June 15-17, with mandatory minicamp on June 9-11. (jaguars.com) Those late-May sessions mark the first point in the spring when teams can put players on the field for broader football work. Until then, the early weeks are mostly about installation, conditioning and getting veterans back into the building. (operations.nfl.com) In Santa Clara, Brock Purdy, George Kittle and other 49ers veterans reported Monday for the start of San Francisco’s offseason program. General manager John Lynch also held his required pre-draft news conference that day. (49erswebzone.com) (nytimes.com) The staggered calendar is the same across the league, but start dates differ by coaching status. Teams with returning head coaches could open on April 20 this year, while clubs with new head coaches were eligible to begin earlier in April. (operations.nfl.com) For now, the work is voluntary and mostly indoors. The spring gets closer to football in May and June, but April 20 is when the 2026 season preparation formally began for much of the league. (operations.nfl.com)
