It's been an intriguing offseason to follow and cover the Arizona Cardinals, and as we're three weeks away from the 2026 NFL Draft, it's nearly time for cleats to touch grass.
The Cardinals revealed their full list of key offseason dates leading up to training camp, which is still currently unknown in terms of official start date — though it will be earlier than usual thanks to their participation in the league's Hall of Fame game in Canton to begin preseason festivities.
Key Arizona Cardinals Offseason Dates
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Mar 30, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
**April 7**: Offseason Strength and Conditioning Program begins
**April 21-23**: Voluntary Veteran Mini-Camp
**April 23**: Cardinals Draft Party presented by State Farm at State Farm Stadium
**April 23-25**: 2026 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh, PA
**May 8-9:** Rookie Mini-Camp
**May 18-19; May 21**: Voluntary Organized Team Activities with Veterans and Rookies
**May 26-27; May 29:** Voluntary Organized Team Activities with Veterans and Rookies
**June 1-2; June 4**: Voluntary Organized Team Activities with Veterans and Rookies
**June 8-10**: Mini-Camp for Veterans and Rookies
The Cardinals, with a first-time head coach, are permitted to begin their voluntary offseason activities two weeks earlier than other clubs. Nine other teams outside of Arizona will have that advantage entering 2026.
"I think I've been on record a few times saying what's really unique about this job is people live in the Phoenix, Scottsdale, Valley area. That is such a competitive advantage, if used correctly," LaFleur said at the NFL owners meetings this week.
"Guys want to live there for obvious reasons. We don't need to get in all that. With that being said ... we just have a lot of guys that are around that building that are training."
This is a pivotal time for LaFleur to install not only his schematics offensively but also how the Cardinals will function under his guidance for the foreseeable future.
He says so far, so good.
"I like where we're at right now. Again, it's just pen on paper right now, right? It's just \[inaudible\], like, it's not real football and what we'll tell these guys is these are foundational aspects," LaFleur continued.
"This is the way we're going to operate. Here's the plays. This is how we make it come to life, and we have to show them, and we have to rep it thousands of times to the point that they don't even know they're repping anymore. They're just doing it. So there's a lot of work to be done between now and September, but again, it's March 30, so we got time."
Soon, very soon, the Cardinals will be engaged in offseason activities, getting us one step closer to football season.