Joe Burrow
As we enter peak mock draft season and free agency rumors still swirl, NFL teams now know the dates of their offseason workout programs. Those workouts can begin as early as next week for some clubs. The Cincinnati Bengals will begin their workouts on April 21.
Rookie minicamp will be May 9 and the Bengals will also start OTA offseason workouts next month which will run from May 27-29 and June 2-4, the league announced.
Mandatory minicamp in Cincinnati will be held from June 10-12.
The NFL released the workout dates Thursday and also provided details about the voluntary nine-week program. Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement, it is conducted in three phases:
Phase One consists of the first two weeks of the program with activities limited to meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation only, per the league release.
“Phase Two consists of the next three weeks of the program. On-field workouts may include individual or group instruction and drills, as well as “perfect play drills,” and drills and plays with offensive players lining up across from offensive players and defensive players lining up across from defensive players, conducted at a walk-through pace. No live contact or team offense vs. team defense drills are permitted.”
“Phase Three consists of the next four weeks of the program. Teams may conduct a total of 10 days of organized team practice activity, or “OTAs”. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted”, according to the league.
Offseason Development Changes In Cincinnati
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor recently addressed the need to get off to a better start this season. During this week’s NFL League Meetings, Taylor revealed changes designed to get the Bengals out of the gate faster this September.
Bengals.com senior writer Geoff Hobson wrote this week that Taylor said “he plans to play more of his regulars in the preseason games, as well as ramp up the spring with more team bonding and playbook work”.
Last season, the Bengals lost their first three games of the year and the team lost each of its first two games in 2023 and 2022.
Hobson also wrote that besides giving starters more reps in the preseason, Taylor hopes to “implement a training camp intensity to the Xs and Os of the spring.”
Could The Bengals Play Internationally In 2025?
While NFL fans now have an idea of when their favorite teams will take the field this spring, everyone is waiting for the regular season schedule to drop.
The league is expected to release is next month. The NFL will then also announce which road teams will play in the record breaking seven international games this season. Home teams of the international games have already been announced.
CBS Sports’ John Breech predicted what matchups we could see overseas this fall. He listed the Bengals as a ‘possible opponent’ against the Cleveland Browns in London, along with being a possible opponent against the Pittsburg Steelers in Dublin, Ireland.
Though, Breech did not list the Bengals as the ‘predicted opponent’ because the NFL hasn’t scheduled a divisional game overseas in six years.
He did predict Cincinnati or the Washington Commanders to face the Miami Dolphins in Madrid.
“The first game in Spain would also be a perfect spot for a Joe Burrow vs. Tua Tagovailoa showdown. The Dolphins and Bengals are the only two teams in the NFL with a QB who makes over $50 million per year, PLUS two receivers who make over $28 million per year”, Breech said.