Football season is finally here
It’s finally here. New Orleans Saints players will report for their 2025 training camp on Tuesday — 92 of them, veterans and rookies alike. That group includes second-round quarterback Tyler Shough, who recently signed his contract, and second-year kicker Charlie Smyth, who outkicked a number of starters at a summer workout (and who the Saints get a roster exemption for, as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program). Teams are allowed to roster only 90 players so expect a corresponding move for the reported addition of free agent defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard.
They won’t be hitting the practice field just yet. NFL rules dictate that Tuesday’s activities be limited to “physical examinations, meetings, classroom instruction, running, and conditioning.” Look for a handful of players dealing with injuries to start training camp on the physically unable to perform list (PUP).
But fans won’t have to wait long to see their team in person. Wednesday’s practice session at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center is open to the public; while tickets are required, they are free and given out on a first-come, first-served basis. You can find more information on the 11 open practice dates here.
New Orleans will kick off their preseason series on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Aug. 10 before returning home for their second exhibition game, this time with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Aug. 17 . They’ll close out the preseason with Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Aug. 23 (just in time for Amtrak’s new Mardi Gras Service for fans in the Gulf South). Two of those games will be broadcast nationally on NFL Network.
This year, NFL roster cuts are set for a 3 p.m. CT deadline on Tuesday, Aug. 26. Rosters will reduce from 90 players to 53, practice squads will form, and then we’re on to Week 1. Football season is here, folks. Let’s get it.
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