When does NFL preseason start?

The Super Bowl is the culmination of a long season. Once the final whistle is blown, the months with no game action are difficult for die-hard fans. In the off-season, free agency, the combine and draft follow the Super Bowl. During that time, a big question that's on every fan’s mind is: When does NFL preseason start?

The NFL preseason starts at the completion of training camp, which ends in August every year. Although the dates vary year to year, the first preseason game is about two weeks after training camp begins for each team in July.

A lot goes on between the Super Bowl and the start of preseason games.

NFL off-season events

In football, parity is king. Every year we see teams that struggle one season and rebound to contend for playoff spots the next. Here are the main off-season events for NFL franchises:

• NFL Free Agency — Staying within the league’s salary cap, teams have the option to sign players from other teams whose contracts have expired. The free-agency period typically begins in March.
• NFL Combine — Teams evaluate college players in Indianapolis in late February and early March. 
• NFL Draft — Teams select players from the college ranks. The draft order is set based on the teams’ records in the previous season, with the worst team picking first. The draft is held in late April.
• NFL Training Camp — Teams begin practicing with a full 90-man camp roster, as players compete to make the cut to the regular-season 53-man roster.

The NFL off-season is a marathon, not a sprint. The consistently successful franchises treat it as an opportunity to fill holes on their teams without breaking the bank. Building a deep roster is the key to success.

NFL preseason

Thirty of the 32 teams play four games each during the preseason. The two teams that participate in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game -- the first game of the preseason -- play five preseason games each. The Pro Football Hall of Fame game is played in Canton, Ohio, usually on the first weekend in August.

Preseason games are used by management to evaluate and integrate new players, schemes and coaching staffs. In the preseason, established starters, especially quarterbacks, receive less playing time; rookies and free agents often get more playing time.

Teams broadcast and sell tickets for preseason games. Many fans often complain that the ticket prices for preseason games are too high and that many of players participating in the games do not make the final roster.

Fans everywhere rejoice when preseason is over because that means the high-quality, hard-hitting NFL game is back — and the march to the Super Bowl has begun.