Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn had a smile on his face last week when discussing the beginning of the team’s offseason program.
With Quinn being a new coach, the Commanders can begin their offseason program two weeks before other teams. On Tuesday, Quinn and general manager Adam Peters will welcome players back to Ashburn.
The offseason program comes in three phases.
- Phase One consists of the first two weeks of the program, with activities limited to meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation only. The Commanders begin this phase on April 2.
- Phase Two consists of the next three weeks of the program. On-field workouts may include individual or group instruction and drills. This includes “perfect play drills” and drills/plays conducted at a walk-through pace with offensive players lining up across from offensive players and defensive players lining up across from defensive players. No live contact or team offense vs. team defense drills are permitted.
- Phase Three consists of the next four weeks of the program. 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. Washington begins OTAs on May 15.
The Commanders will hold a voluntary minicamp later this month (April 22-24), and the mandatory minicamp is scheduled for June 11-13.
Washington has signed 22 new players this offseason, more than any team in the NFL. The Commanders added quarterback Jeff Driskel and running back Jeremy McNichols on Monday, just before the offseason program begins.
It will be a busy month for Washington. The Commanders will host multiple visitors this month ahead of the 2024 NFL draft. The draft begins on April 25.