It’s almost time for the Carolina Panthers to get back to work. Yes—actual, physical work.
The office stuff will take a little bit of a backseat soon, with the NFL having announced dates for it offseason workout program. For head coach Matt Rhule and the Panthers, their return to the grind starts on April 18—with two weeks of meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation.
Here’s how the entire slate will unravel:
- April 18: First Day
- May 23-24: Organized Team Activities
- May 26: Organized Team Activities
- May 31-June 1: Organized Team Activities
- June 3: Organized Team Activities
- June 6-9: Organized Team Activities
- June 14-16: Mandatory Minicamp
And here are each of the three phases of the program, as described in the league’s official release on Friday:
Phase One:
“Phase One consists of the first two weeks of the program with activities limited to meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation only.”
Phase Two:
“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:
“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.”
Additionally, dates for the team’s rookie minicamp will be confirmed after the draft, which runs from April 28 to April 30.
