Football season is closer than you think: Here's when the NFL returns in July
The 2025 NFL season is quickly approaching – perhaps faster than you think.
July 13 marks exactly eight weeks before the first Sunday of the regular season, but action is much closer to kicking off than that.
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Between training camps, joint practices and preseason games, you'll soon be hearing all the updates about your favorite teams and players. Who looks good? Who is struggling? All that fun stuff that football fans obsess over during the summer.
But how close exactly are we to seeing players on the field? Here's a look at the summer schedule for the NFL:
NFL training camp dates for 2025
Every player – excluding holdouts – will be back in the building in the next 10 days. The Los Angeles Chargers' rookies have already reported to training camp, and more across the league will join them in the coming days.
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Here's the full report dates for every team ahead of training camp (full team reports in bold):
Saturday, July 12
Chargers (rookies)
Tuesday, July 15
Bills (rookies), Dolphins (rookies), Ravens (rookies), Giants (rookies), 49ers (rookies), Seahawks (rookies)
Thursday, July 17
Chargers, Raiders (rookies), Lions (rookies)
Friday, July 18
Browns (rookies), Commanders (rookies), Packers (rookies)
Saturday, July 19
Lions, Jets (rookies), Patriots (rookies), Jaguars (rookies), Bears (rookies)
Sunday, July 20
Vikings (rookies)
Monday, July 21
Chiefs, Cowboys, Colts (rookies), Bucs (rookies), Panthers (rookies)
Tuesday, July 22
Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots, Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Colts, Jaguars, Texans, Titans, Raiders, Commanders, Eagles, Giants, Bears, Packers, Vikings, Panthers, Bucs, Saints, 49ers, Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks
Wednesday, July 23
Steelers, Falcons
When is the first NFL game in 2025?
Believe it or not, the first kickoff of the 2025 season is later this month.
The Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions will face off in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, July 31, airing on NBC and Peacock.
This game is held annually on the Thursday before Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions in Canton, Ohio. The Chargers and Lions likely won't be playing many – or any – starters, considering the quick turnaround after the start of training camp. But just seeing those uniforms on the field is a welcome sight for football fans.
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When does NFL preseason begin?
The Hall of Fame Game is technically the start of the preseason action, but the rest of the league won't be playing for another week after that.
Week 1 of the 2025 NFL preseason will be held from Thursday, Aug. 7, through Sunday, Aug. 10.
Here are the Week 1 preseason games:
Thursday, Aug. 7
Colts at Ravens
Bengals at Eagles
Raiders at Seahawks
Friday, Aug. 8
Lions at Falcons
Browns at Panthers
Commanders at Patriots
Saturday, Aug. 9
Giants at Bills
Texans at Vikings
Cowboys at Rams
Steelers at Jaguars
Titans at Buccaneers
Jets at Packers
Chiefs at Cardinals
Broncos at 49ers
Sunday, Aug. 10
Dolphins at Bears
Saints at Chargers
When is the start of the NFL season?
The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will host their division rival Dallas Cowboys in the 2025 opener on Thursday, Sept. 4.
That game also airs on NBC and Peacock as Philly raises its second Super Bowl banner.
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Week 1 continues on Friday with the Chargers and Chiefs facing off in Brazil, followed by a full Sunday schedule on Sept. 7 and a Monday night matchup between the Bears and Vikings to wrap things up.
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