NFL clubs this week begin on-field preparations for the 2021 season.
Rookies and veterans from the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers — who meet in the NFL/Hall of Fame Game on August 5 (8 PM ET, FOX) in Canton, OH — report Wednesday and will be the first clubs to have their entire teams on site.
The defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers have rookies reporting on Tuesday, with veterans reporting on Saturday. Tampa Bay hosts Dallas in the annual kickoff game on Thursday, September 9 (8:20 PM ET, NBC).
Rookies for the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots and New York Jets will also report on Tuesday. Veterans will report for every club except Dallas, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay on Tuesday, July 27.
On Saturday, July 31, for the first time, all 32 clubs will hold practice with club-led fan events as part of Training Camp: Back Together Saturday fueled by Gatorade. NFL Network will provide 13 hours of live coverage, beginning at 9 AM ET. NFL Network’s “Inside Training Camp” kicks off on July 26 with extensive camp coverage throughout the summer.
In a growing trend, 23 clubs have scheduled joint practices with other teams. The Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams (August 7 at the Marriott Residence Inn at River Ridge in Oxnard, CA) are the first teams scheduled to see another club’s jersey during camp. The Rams are among seven teams that will practice against multiple opponents. Carolina, Miami, New England, the New York Giants, the New York Jets and Philadelphia also will see two other teams in camp.
This summer also features the return of several clubs holding camp away from their facilities, after the COVID-19 pandemic forced every team to stay home for camp last year.
Four clubs will be spending the entirety of camp away from their facilities — Carolina (Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC), Dallas (Marriott Residence Inn at River Ridge in Oxnard, CA), Indianapolis (Grand Park in Westfield, IN) and Kansas City (Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, MO). Washington will spend its first five days of camp at the Bon Secours Training Center in Richmond, VA, before returning home to its facility in Ashburn, VA, for the remainder of camp.
Not including last year, the 27 clubs that are opting to stay home this summer are the most since 2000. Teams staying home hold camp at their respective practice facility, home stadium or a site within 10 miles of their team headquarters. In 2000, only 10 of 31 teams stayed home.
2021 NFL PRESEASON NATIONAL TELEVISION SCHEDULE |
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DATE |
GAME |
NETWORK (TIME) |
Thursday, Aug. 5 |
NFL/Hall of Fame Game, Canton, OH |
FOX (8 PM) |
Preseason Week 1 |
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Thursday, Aug. 12 |
Washington Football Team at New England Patriots |
NFLN (7:30 PM) |
Friday, Aug. 13 |
Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions |
NFLN (7 PM) |
Friday, Aug. 13 |
Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals |
NFLN (10 PM) |
Saturday, Aug. 14 |
Miami Dolphins at Chicago Bears |
NFLN (1 PM) |
Saturday, Aug. 14 |
Denver Broncos at Minnesota Vikings |
NFLN (4 PM) |
Saturday, Aug. 14 |
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars |
NFLN (7 PM) |
Saturday, Aug. 14 |
Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams |
NFLN (10 PM) |
Sunday, Aug. 15 |
Carolina Panthers at Indianapolis Colts |
NFLN (1 PM) |
Preseason Week 2 |
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Thursday, Aug. 19 |
New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles |
NFLN (7:30 PM) |
Friday, Aug. 20 |
Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals |
ESPN (8 PM) |
Friday, Aug. 20 |
Cincinnati Bengals at Washington Football Team |
NFLN (8 PM) |
Saturday, Aug. 21 |
Buffalo Bills at Chicago Bears |
NFLN (1 PM) |
Saturday, Aug. 21 |
New York Jets at Green Bay Packers |
NFLN (4:25 PM) |
Saturday, Aug. 21 |
Detroit Lions at Pittsburgh Steelers |
NFLN (7:30 PM) |
Saturday, Aug. 21 |
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Rams |
NFLN (10 PM) |
Sunday, Aug. 22 |
New York Giants at Cleveland Browns |
NFLN (1 PM) |
Sunday, Aug. 22 |
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Chargers |
NFLN (7:30 PM) |
Monday, Aug. 23 |
Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints |
ESPN (8 PM) |
Preseason Week 3 |
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Friday, Aug. 27 |
Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs |
NFLN (8 PM) |
Saturday, Aug. 28 |
Green Bay Packers at Buffalo Bills |
NFLN (1 PM) |
Saturday, Aug. 28 |
Chicago Bears at Tennessee Titans |
NFLN (7 PM) |
Saturday, Aug. 28 |
Los Angeles Chargers at Seattle Seahawks |
NFLN (10 PM) |
Sunday, Aug. 29 |
Jacksonville Jaguars at Dallas Cowboys |
NFLN (1 PM) |
Sunday, Aug. 29 |
Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals |
CBS (4 PM) |
Sunday, Aug. 29 |
Las Vegas Raiders at San Francisco 49ers |
NFLN (4 PM) |
Sunday, Aug. 29 |
New England Patriots at New York Giants |
NFLN (6 PM) |
Sunday, Aug. 29 |
Cleveland Browns at Atlanta Falcons |
NBC (8 PM) |