We’ve made it through the fun parts of the offseason. The Carolina Panthers added some potential difference makers on the defensive side of the ball in Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd. They added some depth and starting potential on the offensive side of the ball in the draft. On paper, the roster looks as good as it has in years. That makes for a very exciting buildup to the 2026 season. But first, we’ve got several months to get through. Fortunately the NFL has found ways to keep itself relevant all offseason long. Here are the key dates to mark on your calendars between now and the start of the season.
May
May 8-9: Rookie minicamp
Mid-May: NFL schedule reveal
May 26-27, 29: OTAs
Advertisement
Some heavy rain is supposed to lighten up just in time for the Panthers to hold their rookie minicamp on Friday and Saturday. All seven draft picks, 11 undrafted free agents, and possibly a handful of tryout players will take part as they start to get acclimated to the NFL while the team gets its first look at the incoming talent they have on their hands. The full team will convene for the first official activities later in the month.
Normally we know the date of the NFL schedule reveal by now, but the league is yet to release it. In years past, the week after this one was the one in which the schedule was unveiled. That may or may not be the case this year, but I expect it’ll be out within the next two weeks.
June
June 1-2, 4: OTAs
June 9-11: Mandatory minicamp
Advertisement
June is pretty quiet. We have the second round of “voluntary” OTAs followed by mandatory minicamp in the middle of the month. That minicamp is usually when we get the most substantive reporting on how players are progressing and what the team may look like in the coming season.
July
July 15: Deadline for players on franchise tag to sign multi-year contract
Mid-July: Training camp opens
The Panthers are partaking in the Hall of Fame game this year, meaning they’ll open their preseason one week before everyone else. That also means they’ll open training camp before everyone else. Last year’s Hall of Fame game participants opened camp between July 16th and 19th, which is about a week before the rest of the league. However, that Hall of Fame game was on July 31st, while this year’s is on August 6th, so we won’t get the Panthers at camp quite that early. The official date will get set later.
Advertisement
August
August 6: Hall of Fame Game between Panthers and Cardinals
The Panthers get the ever coveted opportunity to play an extra preseason game because one of their former players is getting elected to the Hall of Fame. They play against the Cardinals as Luke Kuechly and Larry Fitzgerald get honored. Very few important players are expected to play in what’s always an underwhelming first game of football. That said, it’ll probably have a little extra juice for Panthers fans given the pomp and circumstance of the event.
