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Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions saw one of their former defensive linemen rejoin the AFC South.

The Detroit Lions kicked off their OTAs in late May and, after grinding for three weeks, they wrapped up the mini-camp on June 17. Following weeks of a well-deserved break, they will now turn their attention to the training camp, where the cut-throat race to enter the 53-man roster will reach the last stage.

While late July was viewed as the start of the training camp, the NFL has just officially announced its kickoff date and location.

The Lions’ rookies will arrive for training camp on July 25, while the veterans will join three days later, on July 28. The camp will be held at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, Michigan— the very spot where they recently concluded OTAs and training camp took place.

Alongside the Honolulu Blues, the league also officially released the training camp schedules and locations for the other 31 teams, with all of them starting in the latter half of July. The reigning Super Bowl champion, the Seattle Seahawks, will be the first team to get the ball rolling, as their rookies are scheduled to report on July 17.

Training Camp Could Determine the Lions’ Depth Chart

The three-day early arrival of the rookies due to the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, which gives the new players time to settle into the new team before the seasoned players who have been with the franchise for years before they walk in. The three-day rookie timeframe is allotted for different reasons, such as medical checking, gear fitting, and learning sessions with the coaches.

The veterans will do the team meeting and the physical check-up on July 28, before the whole squad starts practicing in the training camp from July 29, and it will continue for approximately a month until the end of August, just weeks before officially hitting the 2026 regular NFL season.

The primary objective of Dan Campbell’s training camp will be to build chemistry among the newest additions to the roster, including free-agent signees. Moreover, several key players returning from injuries will be looking to reestablish their on-field chemistry with their teammates. Following weeks of training camp, the franchise will cut down the 90-man offseason roster to 53, making it the final squad for the 2026 campaign.

Now that the training camp dates are officially locked in, there will be one notable shift in preparation from the head coach, Dan Campbell.

Detroit Lions Will Not Hold Joint Practices With Any Other NFL Teams in 2026

Other than his first season as the head coach, Dan Campbell held joint practice sessions with other teams in the previous four seasons, but this time, he will not take the same approach. Following a below-par 2025 campaign, the head coach made clear that he would prefer to focus on his team’s internal preparations and execution this offseason.

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“Let’s just keep it about us, let’s go to work, set the schedule up, and we can hit everything; we don’t have to get ready for the next opponent in a joint practice, we go right through it,” Campbell said in March 2026.

Last season, the Lions held joint practice with the Miami Dolphins and the Houston Texans, while in 2024, it was the New York Giants. The Honolulu Blues were pitted against the Giants and Jaguars in 2023, following an earlier edition with the Colts in 2022.