NFL Training Camps Open as Seahawks Defend Crown

NFL training camp season shifted into full gear Tuesday as five more teams welcomed rookies. The Bills, Panthers, Texans, Dolphins and Patriots opened their doors on July 21. All 32 clubs will be in camp by July 28. Playbooks, position battles and roster math now run daily through the August 30 cutdown.

Seattle Sets the Bar While 31 Teams Chase It

The Cardinals and Panthers become the first full squads when veterans report July 22. Those two teams meet in the Hall of Fame Game on August 6. Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton hosts the preseason opener. The champion Seahawks got a head start, welcoming rookies on July 17. The 49ers followed with rookie arrivals on July 18.

Seattle enters camp as the reigning champion after beating the Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium. The victory delivered the second Lombardi Trophy in Seahawks history. Sam Darnold became the first quarterback from the 2018 draft class to win a title. Kenneth Walker III powered that win with 135 rushing yards. Every roster sits at the 90-man limit until cutdown day on August 30 at 6 p.m. ET.

The summer geography stays familiar. The Bills train in Rochester, the Cowboys in Oxnard and the Steelers in Latrobe. The Chiefs return to St. Joseph, while Arizona, Carolina, Cincinnati and Green Bay work at or near their stadiums. Camp sites host 90 players per team, so more than 2,800 jobs are technically open league wide.

Arizona carries the most early intrigue. Rookie head coach Mike LaFleur is installing his offense with Jacoby Brissett as the presumed starter. Brissett skipped voluntary workouts, and a camp holdout remains possible. In San Francisco, 49ers starters missed more than 50 games in 2025. Fred Warner is cleared, Nick Bosa is expected near the start of camp and George Kittle targets Week 1.

The calendar squeezes every decision. The 2026 season opens on a Wednesday instead of the usual Thursday night. That shift pushes the cut to 53 players up to August 30 at 6 p.m. ET. The window gives bubble players about five weeks to win jobs. Quarterback battles in Arizona and Cleveland will shape depth charts and betting boards alike. Josh Allen enters camp atop ESPN’s quarterback rankings as the Bills chase their first title.

Veterans stream in through July 28, and the pace only quickens from there. The Cardinals and Panthers open the preseason August 6 on NBC and Peacock. Seattle begins its title defense with every camp rep under a microscope.