Bengals Offseason Schedule Released: Details on Rookie Camp, OTA's and Mandatory Minicamp

The Bengals' offseason program will begin with rookie minicamp.

Author:
James Rapien
Updated:
May 6, 2021 2:17 PM EDT
Original:
May 6, 2021

CINCINNATI — The Bengals added 10 players to their roster in the 2021 NFL Draft. They'll get their first look at the new guys later this month.

The NFL released the offseason schedule for all 32 teams on Thursday. Bengals rookie minicamp starts on May 14. Expect Ja'Marr Chase, Jackson Carman and the rest of the 2021 draft class, along with their college free agent signings, to attend the workouts.

Organized team activities [OTA's] will take place on May 25-27, June 1-3 and June 7-10. Those are voluntary and plenty of veteran players may decide to skip OTA's and workout on their own.

Mandatory minicamp is from June 15-17. Expect every player on the roster to attend the three day session at Paul Brown Stadium.

How much will Joe Burrow participate? How healthy is his surgically repaired left knee? That's the biggest question that still needs to be answered this offseason with free agency and the draft in the rear view mirror.

The NFL offseason will be broken up into three phases. For more details, check out the rules that are in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

^{Phase One: (April 19-May 14) has been extended from its customary two-week period to four weeks, with activities limited to strength and conditioning, virtual meetings, and physical rehabilitation only.}
^{Phase Two: (May 17-21) has been shortened from three weeks to one week. On-field workouts may include individual player instruction and drills, “perfect play” drills, drills and plays conducted with offensive players lining up across from offensive players and defensive players lining up across from defensive players, with each group permitted to align eleven or fewer players across from eleven or fewer players. Players on one side of the ball may execute a play, but players on the opposite side of the ball may not initiate contact with, or attempt to impede the progress of, players who are running the play. All such drills must be conducted at an acceptable walkthrough pace (i.e. Pro Bowl practice).}
^{Phase Three: (May 24-June 18) remains its customary four weeks in length. Beginning in Phase Three, clubs may conduct in-person meetings and classroom instruction subject to COVID-19 testing cadence, tracking, facility access and other protocols. During Phase Three, 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.}
^{Article 22 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement stipulates that clubs may hold one mandatory minicamp for veteran players. This minicamp, noted below, must occur during Phase Three of the offseason program. Each club may hold a rookie football development program for a period of seven weeks, which in 2021 may begin on May 17. During this period, no activities may be held on weekends, with the exception of one post-NFL Draft rookie minicamp, which may be conducted on either the first or second weekend following the draft.}

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