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Saints Calendar: Important Dates to Week 1

What does the rest of the NFL calendar hold for the Saints leading up to Week 1 of the regular season?

John Hendrix

In this story:

We're about to see the Saints rookies report for training camp on Tuesday, and it looks to be a good time to give everyone a calendar outlook for the team with important dates leading up to the first week of the regular season. This also includes major NFL dates and happenings.

July

  • July 19: Rookies report for training camp
  • July 26: Veterans report for training camp
  • July 27: First practice for Saints training camp
  • July 30: Open training camp practice for fans (9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)
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August

  • Aug. 1: Deadline for all clubs to conduct physical examinations pursuant to CBA Article 45, Section 2(c) to determine a player’s eligibility for the IP Benefit.
  • Aug. 1: Open training camp practice for fans (9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)
  • Aug. 2: Open training camp practice for fans (9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)
  • Aug. 4: Open training camp practice for fans (9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)
  • Aug. 4: Hall of Fame Game, Jaguars vs. Raiders
  • Aug. 4-7: Hall of Fame Weekend, Canton, Ohio
  • Aug. 5: Open training camp practice for fans (9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)
  • Aug. 6: Open training camp practice for fans (9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)
  • Aug. 8: Open training camp practice for fans (9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)
  • Aug. 9: If a Drafted Rookie has not signed with his club by this date, he cannot be traded to any other club in 2022 and may sign a Player Contract only with the drafting club until the day of the Draft in the 2023 League Year.
  • Aug. 10: Open training camp practice for fans (9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)
  • Aug. 11: Open training camp practice for fans (9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)
  • Aug. 13-17: Each Club has until five days prior to its second preseason game to provide any tendered, but unsigned Exclusive Rights Player or Restricted Free Agent with written notice of the club’s intent to place the player on the Exempt List if the player fails to report at least the day before the club’s second preseason game. Such notice must also be sent to the NFLPA. Once such notice has been provided, the club must place the player on the Exempt List. While on the Exempt List, the player will not be entitled to compensation for up to three regular-season games, depending upon the date the player reports to the club. Any such player who fails to report prior to the deadline will be ineligible to play or receive compensation for at least three games (preseason or regular season) from the time that he reports.
  • Aug. 13: Preseason Game 1, Saints at Texans (7:00 p.m.)
  • Aug. 16: Roster cutdown to 85 players by 3:00 p.m. CT
  • Aug. 16: Joint practice with Packers (10:25 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.)
  • Aug. 17: Joint practice with Packers (10:25 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.)
  • Aug. 19: Preseason Game 2, Saints at Packers (7:00 p.m.)
  • Aug. 21: Superdome training camp practice (3:45 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.)
  • Aug. 23: Roster cutdown to 80 players by 3:00 p.m. CT
  • Aug. 26: Preseason Game 3, Chargers at Saints (7:00 p.m.)
  • Aug. 30: Final roster cutdown to 53 players by 3:00 p.m. CT
  • Aug. 31: Claiming period for players placed on waivers at the final roster reduction will expire at 11:00 a.m. CT. Practice squads can be formed consisting of 16 players. Starting at 3:00 p.m. CT, any player placed on Reserve/Injured, Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness, or Practice Squad; Injured during the regular season or postseason, may be designated for return later in the season.
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41)
Jan 9, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs against Atlanta Falcons safety Shawn Williams (36) during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

September

  • Sep. 4: Final day of preseason training camp for all teams
  • Sep. 5-10: Each team is required to file a Practice Report with the NFL Communications department by 3:00 p.m. (or as soon as possible after the completion of practice) every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for a regular season Sunday game; Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for a Thursday game; Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for a Monday game; and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for a Saturday game.
  • Sep. 7: Deadline of 3 p.m. CT for all NFL Player Contracts, Practice Player Contracts, tender offers, and miscellaneous amounts to fit within each Club’s 2022 Salary Cap, in anticipation of the expiration of the Top 51 Rule.
  • Sep. 8: The Top 51 Rule expires for all NFL Clubs at 11:00 p.m. CT
  • Sep. 11: Week 1, Saints at Falcons (12 p.m. CT)

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John Hendrix
JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net

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