After a fully virtual offseason in 2020, players will return to the field this spring for rookie minicamp, voluntary offseason training activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamp.
The NFL announced the Offseason Workout Program calendar Thursday. Here are the dates for the Washington Football Team's program:
- Rookie minicamp: May 14-15
- OTAs: May 25-27, June 1-3, June 8-10
- Mandatory minicamp: June 15-17
Teams are still currently in Phase One of the voluntary nine-week offseason program established in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The first phase, which began April 19 and runs until May 14, is limited to strength and conditioning activities, virtual meetings and physical rehabilitation.
Phase Two spans May 17-21 and consists of on-field workouts that can include individual player instruction as well as team drills at a walkthrough pace.
It's not until Phase Three, which lasts from May 24-June 18, that teams can conduct in-person meetings and classroom instruction while following COVID-19 protocols. Clubs can also conduct 10 days of organized team practice activities during this time without live contact. Washington will have three sets of three practices on May 25-27, June 1-3 and June 8-10.
While all these activities are voluntary, Washington will hold its mandatory minicamp the week after the final OTA session from June 15-17.
As for the development of Washington's first-year players, it will conduct its post-NFL Draft rookie minicamp May 14-15. Starting May 17, teams can hold rookie football development programs for seven weeks. Senior Director of Player Development Malcolm Blacken will once again lead the program.
"For the most part, it's going to follow what we're allowed to do for the league," head coach Ron Rivera said of Washington's rookie development program. "Malcolm Blacken is going to head it. We'll have a rookie minicamp in two weeks and once we finish that, the players will work right into the program with the rest of their teammates. We'll have them here until the middle of June and then they'll move on. In the meantime, we'll do all the program stuff we're supposed to with Malcolm leading that for the most part."
