NFL 2025-26 Season Kicks Off: Key Dates, Rookie Prep, and Massive Revenue Projections Revealed

As the NFL gears up for the 2025-26 season, here are the key dates and events that football fans need to know:

## Important Dates
- **June 2**: The deadline for prior clubs to send the “June 1 Tender” to their unsigned restricted free agents who received a qualifying offer[2].
- **June 16**: Clubs must withdraw higher qualifying offers to restricted free agents and substitute them with the lower 'June 15 Tender' to retain exclusive negotiating rights. This tender is a one-year contract at 110 percent of the player's prior-year Paragraph 5 Salary[1][2].
- **Late June**: The Rookie Readiness Program will be held at individual clubs, focusing on preparing rookies for the upcoming season[1].
- **July 15**: The deadline for clubs that designated a Franchise Player to sign such players to a multiyear contract or extension. After this date, the player can only sign a one-year contract with their prior club for the 2025 season, which cannot be extended until after the club's last regular season game[1].

## Training Camps
- **Mid-July**: Clubs can open preseason training camp for rookies seven days prior to the mandatory reporting date for veteran players. For clubs with their first regular season game on a Thursday or Sunday, veteran players (excluding quarterbacks and injured players) must report 47 days before the game, including time for physical examinations, meetings, and conditioning[1].

## Minicamps
- **Current Week (June 11)**: The majority of NFL teams are conducting their mandatory minicamps, which provide valuable practice time and team evaluations before the preseason[3].

## Revenue and Popularity
The NFL continues to be a financial powerhouse, driven largely by media deals and the expanding legal sports betting industry. In 2022, the NFL generated about $18 billion, with a significant portion coming from broadcast agreements worth over $110 billion with networks like CBS, NBC, FOX, and ESPN[5].

## Fan Engagement
- **Viewership**: The NFL remains the most watched sports league in the U.S., with the Super Bowl consistently reaching over 100 million viewers each year[5].
- **Fantasy Sports**: Approximately 60 million people participate in fantasy sports annually, adding another layer of engagement for fans[5].
- **Sports Betting**: The legal sports betting industry is expected to see a record-breaking $35 billion in wagers for the upcoming NFL season, with NFL-related bets making up about 40% of the U.S. sports betting market[5].

These updates highlight the key events, financial health, and fan engagement that define the NFL as it moves into the 2025-26 season.