Washington Commanders’ 2026 offseason workout dates announced for OTAs and mandatory minicamp, and what to expect for each
The Washington Commanders’ 2026 season is much closer than you think after their offseason schedule was announced for OTAs and mandatory minicamp, which start soon after the NFL Draft.
The 2026 NFL Draft is just two weeks away, which is the last major event before the Washington Commanders report for practice.
We’ve already seen QB Jayden Daniels and his teammates start practicing together this offseason while enjoying time away, but it’ll be the whole team before you know it. The Commanders’ 2026 offseason workout dates have been announced, and now we know when the team will kick off the offseason with their new free agents and new draft picks.
Washington Commanders offseason workout dates announced
The Washington Commanders are heading into a critical 2026 season with many new coaches and players, so their offseason programs are more important than ever. The NFL sent out the offseason workout schedule for all 32 teams, with certain teams reporting as early as yesterday if they had new head coaches.
The Commanders are heading into 2026 with Dan Quinn as the head coach again, so their first day isn’t until April 20th, before the NFL Draft.
The Washington Commanders first report on April 20th, which kicks off the rest of the offseason.
- First Day: April 20th
- OTAs: May 27-29, June 2-4, June 9-11
- Mandatory Minicamp: June 16-18
Teams haven’t announced their training camp schedules yet, which usually don’t come out until the first few days of July.
What to expect for each offseason phase for the Commanders
The offseason is broken down into three phases, and the NFL also sent out a memo detailing what each phase is for and what teams are allowed to do in each.
“Phase One consists of the first two weeks of the program, with activities limited to meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation only.
Phase Two consists of the next three weeks of the program. On-field workouts may include individual or group instruction and drills, as well as “perfect play drills,” and drills and plays with offensive players lining up across from offensive players and defensive players lining up across from defensive players, conducted at a walk-through pace. No live contact or team offense vs. team defense drills are permitted.
Phase Three consists of the next four weeks of the program. Teams may conduct a total of 10 days of organized team practice activity, or “OTAs”. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.
Article 22 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement stipulates that clubs may hold one mandatory minicamp for veteran players. This minicamp, noted below, must occur during Phase Three of the offseason program.
Each club may hold a rookie football development program for a period of seven weeks, which in 2026 may begin on May 11. During this period, no activities may be held on weekends, with the exception of one post-Draft rookie minicamp, which may be conducted on either the first or second weekend following the draft. The dates of each club’s post-draft rookie minicamps will be circulated at a later date.”
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