NFL training camp 2022: Dates to know, roster cuts, preseason schedules, how COVID-19 rules have changed

It’s almost that time for teams to gear up for yet another NFL season. It’s been over five months since the Los Angeles Rams knocked off the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. But now the NFL’s return is inching closer. The long summer days with hardly any football news will be replaced with the training camps for all 32 NFL teams. We’ve got you covered with the need-to-know information and what’s changed with the COVID-19 rules since last season.

How do NFL training camps work?

NFL teams' ramp-up to the season involves all the things you would think: Scrimmages, drills, team meetings, weight training. Some teams have also adopted "joint practices" where teams will practice against each other — and occasionally get in a skirmish or two.

The first seven days of each camp are scripted out by restrictions in the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Days 1 through 3 involve “zero contact,” while Days 4 and 5 can be at full speed in helmets and light practice gear. Day 6 is a mandatory rest day and on Day 7, players can conduct fully padded practices. After that, the teams can implement their own schedules.

Some teams have practices that are open to the public, where fans can attend, watch and get a glimpse of the players in action. Then there are some sessions that are closed off for only media members, and there are completely private sessions just for members of the teams to keep certain schemes, lineups and tactics from leaking to the public.

COVID-19 changes

During the first year of the pandemic, the majority, if not all, of these practices had no fans in attendance. Like the rest of the country, the NFL figured out a way to operate during a pandemic for the past two years, but in March the NFL took a step toward normalcy, agreeing in cooperation with the players union to end certain aspects of the COVID-19 protocols.

According to NFL.com, these are some of the changes:

• Players or staff members will no longer be subjected to mandatory surveillance testing, regardless of vaccination status.

• Players and staff are no longer mandated to wear electronic tracking devices.

• Players and staff are not required to wear masks or face coverings, but that is subject to state and local requirements. Teams also have the authority to enact a mask requirement "if they elect to do so."

Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 will still require a negative test before entering any team facility. If the test is positive, they must isolate for a period of at least five days.

The NFL has yet to revise any of these changes prior to the start of training camp with the rise of the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron which now accounts for 65% of COVID cases in the United States, but In that same memo, the NFL said it "will work closely with clubs, the NFLPA and our respective experts, and local, state and federal public health officials to continue to safeguard the health of the NFL community."

When are the NFL’s 2022 roster cutdown dates?

Teams across the NFL have different start dates for training camp. Some teams request rookies to arrive earlier than veterans, but you can expect all of them to report between mid- and late-July. Some rookies will start reporting July 19.

The NFL currently allows teams to have 90 players on their active rosters for the start of training camp, but they eventually must work their way down to the 53 players that will be on the team throughout the season.

Roster cutdown dates follow each week of the preseason and are listed below:

• Aug. 16: By 4:00 p.m. ET teams must reduce their active rosters to 85 players.

• Aug. 23: By 4:00 p.m. ET teams must reduce their active rosters to 80 players.

• Aug. 30: By 4:00 p.m. ET teams must reduce their active rosters to 53 players.

Preseason schedule

Speaking of the preseason, each team plays 3 preseason games, except for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Oakland Raiders, who will have 4 as they kick off the preseason in the Hall of Fame Game. Below are the schedules for each team.

All times are Eastern.

Arizona Cardinals

Aug. 12, 7:30 p.m. at Cincinnati Bengals

Aug. 21, 8:00 p.m. vs. Baltimore Ravens

Aug. 27, 7:00 p.m. at Tennessee Titans

Atlanta Falcons

Aug. 12, 6:00 p.m. at Detroit Lions

Aug. 22, 8:00 p.m. at New York Jets

Aug. 27, 3:00 p.m. vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Baltimore Ravens

Aug. 11, 7:30 p.m. vs. Tennessee Titans

Aug. 21, 8:00 p.m. at Arizona Cardinals

Aug. 27, 7:00 p.m. vs. Washington Commanders

Buffalo Bills

Aug. 13, 4:00 p.m. vs. Indianapolis Colts

Aug. 20, 1:00 p.m. vs. Denver Broncos

Aug. 26, 7:00 p.m. at Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers

Aug. 13, 1:00 p.m. at Washington Commanders

Aug. 19, 7:00 p.m. at New England Patriots

Aug. 26, 7:00 p.m. vs. Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Aug. 13, 1:00 p.m. vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Aug. 18, 8:00 p.m. at Seattle Seahawks

Aug. 27, 7:00 p.m. at Cleveland Browns

Cincinnati Bengals

Aug. 12, 7:30 p.m. vs. Arizona Cardinals

Aug. 21, 7:00 p.m. at New York Giants

Aug. 27, 6:00 p.m. vs. Los Angeles Rams

Cleveland Browns

Aug. 12, 7:00 p.m. at Jacksonville Jaguars

Aug. 21, 1:00 p.m. vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Aug. 27, 7:00 p.m. vs. Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Aug. 13, 9:00 p.m. at Denver Broncos

Aug. 20, 10:00 p.m. at Los Angeles Chargers

Aug. 26, 8:00 p.m. vs. Seattle Seahawks

Denver Broncos

Aug. 13, 9:00 p.m. vs. Dallas Cowboys

Aug. 20, 1:00 p.m. at Buffalo Bills

Aug. 27, 9:00 p.m. vs. Minnesota Vikings

Detroit Lions

Aug. 12, 6:00 p.m. vs. Atlanta Falcons

Aug. 20, 1:00 p.m. at Indianapolis Colts

Aug. 28, 4:30 p.m. at Pittsburgh Steelers

Green Bay Packers

Aug. 12, 8:30 p.m. at San Francisco 49ers

Aug. 19, 8:00 p.m. vs. New Orleans Saints

Aug. 25, 8:00 p.m. at Kansas City Chiefs

Houston Texans

Aug. 13, 8:00 p.m. vs. New Orleans Saints

Aug. 19, 10:00 p.m. at Los Angeles Rams

Aug. 25, 8:15 p.m. vs. San Francisco 49ers

Indianapolis Colts

Aug. 13, 4:00 p.m. at Buffalo Bills

Aug. 20, 1:00 p.m. vs. Detroit Lions

Aug. 27, 7:30 p.m. vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Aug. 4, 8:00 p.m. at Las Vegas Raiders (Hall of Fame Game)

Aug. 12, 7:00 p.m. vs. Cleveland Browns

Aug. 20, 7:00 p.m. vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Aug. 27, 3:00 p.m. at Atlanta Falcons

Kansas City Chiefs

Aug. 13, 1:00 p.m. at Chicago Bears

Aug. 20, 4:00 p.m. vs. Washington Commanders

Aug. 25, 8:00 p.m. vs. Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

Aug. 4, 8:00 p.m. vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (Hall of Fame Game)

Aug. 14, 4:25 p.m. vs. Minnesota Vikings

Aug. 20, 7:00 p.m. at Miami Dolphins

Aug. 26, 8:15 p.m. vs. New England Patriots

Los Angeles Chargers

Aug. 13, 10:00 p.m. vs. Los Angeles Rams

Aug. 20, 10:00 p.m. vs. Dallas Cowboys

Aug. 26, 8:00 p.m. at New Orleans Saints

Los Angeles Rams

Aug. 13, 10:00 p.m. at Los Angeles Chargers

Aug. 19, 10:00 p.m. vs. Houston Texans

Aug. 27, 6:00 p.m. at Cincinnati Bengals

Miami Dolphins

Aug. 13, 7:30 p.m. at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Aug. 20, 7:00 p.m. vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Aug. 27, 7:00 p.m. vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Minnesota Vikings

Aug. 14, 4:25 p.m. at Las Vegas Raiders

Aug. 20, 7:00 p.m. vs. San Francisco 49ers

Aug. 27, 9:00 p.m. at Denver Broncos

New England Patriots

Aug. 11, 7:00 p.m. vs. New York Giants

Aug. 19, 7:00 p.m. vs. Carolina Panthers

Aug. 26, 8:15 p.m. at Las Vegas Raiders

New Orleans Saints

Aug. 13, 8:00 p.m. at Houston Texans

Aug. 19, 8:00 p.m. at Green Bay Packers

Aug. 26, 8:00 p.m. vs. Los Angeles Chargers

New York Giants

Aug. 11, 7:00 p.m. at New England Patriots

Aug. 21, 7:00 p.m. vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Aug. 28, 1:00 p.m. at New York Jets

New York Jets

Aug. 12, 7:30 p.m. at Philadelphia Eagles

Aug. 22, 8:00 p.m. vs. Atlanta Falcons

Aug. 28, 1:00 p.m. vs. New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Aug. 12, 7:30 p.m. vs. New York Jets

Aug. 21, 1:00 p.m. at Cleveland Browns

Aug. 27, 7:00 p.m. at Miami Dolphins

Pittsburgh Steelers

Aug. 13, 7:00 p.m. vs. Seattle Seahawks

Aug. 20, 7:00 p.m. at Jacksonville Jaguars

Aug. 28, 4:30 p.m. vs. Detroit Lions

San Francisco 49ers

Aug. 12, 8:30 p.m. vs. Green Bay Packers

Aug. 20, 7:00 p.m. at Minnesota Vikings

Aug. 25, 8:15 p.m. at Houston Vikings

Seattle Seahawks

Aug. 13, 7:00 p.m. at Pittsburgh Steelers

Aug. 18, 8:00 p.m. vs. Chicago Bears

Aug. 26, 8:00 p.m. at Dallas Cowboys

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Aug. 13, 7:30 p.m. vs. Miami Dolphins

Aug. 20, 7:00 p.m. at Tennessee Titans

Aug. 27, 7:30 p.m. at Indianapolis Colts

Tennessee Titans

Aug. 11, 7:30 p.m. at Baltimore Ravens

Aug. 20, 7:00 p.m. vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Aug. 27, 7:00 p.m. vs. Arizona Cardinals

Washington Commanders

Aug. 13, 1:00 p.m. vs. Carolina Panthers

Aug. 20, 4:00 p.m. at Kansas City Chiefs

Aug. 27, 7:00 p.m. at Baltimore Ravens

This article originally appeared on Yahoo Sports at https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-training-camp-2022-dates-to-know-roster-cuts-preseason-schedules-how-covid-19-rules-have-changed-020056989.html