The road to the 2026 NFL season officially has its first set of milestones. The New Orleans Saints announced their full offseason workout schedule on Monday, outlining a structured framework for the team's preparation over the coming months. According to the team's official release, the program will commence on April 20, marking the beginning of a critical multi-phase process designed to build a foundation for success.
For Head Coach Kellen Moore, General Manager Mickey Loomis, and the entire football operations staff, this schedule is more than just a calendar. It represents the first tangible step in molding the 2026 roster, installing schematic adjustments, and fostering the chemistry that can make the difference in close games come fall. After the conclusion of the 2025 campaign, this period is a reset--a time for evaluation, teaching, and incremental progress away from the glaring lights of game day.
The offseason workout program is meticulously governed by the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, which breaks activities into three distinct phases. This structure is designed to prioritize player safety, gradually increasing physical intensity while maximizing mental preparation.
Phase 1: The Foundation (April 20 - May 9)
The initial phase, spanning the first few weeks, focuses on acclimation and instruction. On-field work is limited to strength and conditioning, with only strength and conditioning coaches permitted to work with players. This is a crucial period for players to rebuild their physical bases after the offseason. However, the real work happens in meeting rooms. Coaches can begin classroom instruction, introducing playbook installs, reviewing film from the previous season, and outlining core philosophies for the year ahead. For new players--whether acquired via free agency, trade, or the draft--this is an invaluable time to absorb the Saints' system and terminology without the pressure of immediate physical execution. For veterans, it's a refresher course and an opportunity to provide leadership.
Phase 2: On-Field Drills (May 12 - June 6)
The intensity ramps up during Phase 2, as coaches are allowed back on the field for the first time. This period permits on-field workouts but with significant restrictions: no live contact and no offense-versus-defense drills are permitted. Players can run plays against air, and coaches can work on individual technique, position-specific drills, and timing. Quarterbacks can throw to receivers, and defensive backs can hone their footwork and ball skills, but they won't compete directly against one another just yet. This phase focuses on refining fundamentals, ensuring players are comfortable with their assignments, and building the muscle memory needed for the complex schemes deployed by Offensive Coordinator Doug Nussmeier and Defensive Coordinator Brandon Staley.
Phase 3: Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and Minicamp (June 9 - 13, June 16 - 19; Mandatory Minicamp June 10-12)
Phase 3 marks the heart of the offseason program and aligns with what many fans recognize as "spring practices." This phase includes two separate blocks of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and a mandatory full-squad minicamp. The OTAs, scheduled for June 9-13 and June 16-19, feature the most football-like activities of the offseason. While contact remains prohibited, 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed. This represents the first opportunity for the offense and defense to work against each other in a structured, competitive environment. It is a crucial evaluation period for the coaching staff to observe player responsiveness, assess how new pieces fit within the system, and identify young players making developmental strides.
The crescendo of the offseason program is the mandatory veteran minicamp, currently slated for June 10-12. Unlike OTAs, which are technically voluntary, this three-day event requires attendance from all players under contract. It serves as a final intensive tune-up before the long break leading into training camp in late July. The minicamp often features situational work--such as two-minute drills, red zone packages, and special teams installations--providing the team with a more comprehensive dress rehearsal.
The strategic importance of this schedule cannot be overstated for the 2026 Saints. While every NFL team follows a similar CBA-mandated blueprint, the quality of work within that framework separates the prepared from the precarious. For a team that has consistently operated on the fringe of playoff contention in recent years, maximizing these "non-padded" practices is essential. It's where trust is built between the quarterback and his pass-catchers, where a defensive secondary learns to communicate as one cohesive unit, and where a culture of accountability is reinforced.
Player development will be a major theme throughout the offseason. All eyes will be on the team's most recent draft class and any key free-agent acquisitions as they navigate their first immersion into Saints football. How quickly they grasp the playbook and demonstrate their skills during OTAs will heavily influence their roles and snap counts once training camp begins and pads come on. For veterans returning from injury, this controlled environment offers a critical opportunity to test recovery progress and regain confidence in their physical preparedness.
Furthermore, this offseason program is the first real test of the team's evolving identity. What schematic wrinkles will Offensive Coordinator Doug Nussmeier introduce? How will Defensive Coordinator Brandon Staley adjust his pressures and coverages based on last year's results? The answers begin to take shape on the practice fields in Metairie during these scheduled sessions.
As the Saints disperse after the mandatory minicamp in June, they will carry the lessons and installations from these weeks into their individual summer regimens. The work done between April 20 and June 12 lays the essential groundwork. It transforms a collection of individual players into a coherent team, installs the systems that will define their play, and sets the standard for the grueling training camp to follow. While the announcement of the schedule is procedural, the activities it governs represent the first critical battles of the 2026 season. The Saints have charted their course; now, the work begins.