The Detroit Lions are doing away with rookie minicamp.
The Lions will not hold a minicamp as part of their rookie development program this spring, one of several tweaks to the team’s offseason schedule.
NFL teams are allowed to hold three days of practices for drafted rookies, undrafted free agents and tryout players as part of their seven-week rookie orientation program.
Typically, the Lions have held rookie minicamp two weeks after the draft, and often they sign one or more tryout players from the weekend.
Last year, the Lions signed rookie tight end Luke Deal and veteran tryout players Malik Taylor and Raequan Williams.
In 2024, they signed rookie receiver Kaden Davis and tight end Parker Hesse, a veteran tryout player who briefly appeared on the roster later that season.
[ Who did the Detroit Lions draft? Tracking all their picks in 2026 ]
In both years, they entered camp with openings on their 90-man offseason roster.
Lions rookies are scheduled to report Monday, May 11, and still will take part in a full development program.
Last year, the Lions cut out one day of rookie minicamp. This year, they decided to do away with the entire camp to prioritize acclimating 2026 rookies in other ways.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes also eliminated his team’s local day pre-draft workout this spring to focus on other areas of draft preparation, though they still hosted prospects – including their eventual second-round pick Derrick Moore – on local visits.
“We just made the decision really last summer to do away with the pro day,” Holmes said earlier in April. “And we’ll see how it goes. If we feel like we missed something by not doing it, then we’ll look at it and adjust.”
The Lions opened their voluntary formal offseason program last week and are scheduled to host their first of nine organized team activity practices May 27. Teams can hold only strength and conditioning workouts and meetings during the two-week Phase 1 of the offseason program.
In Phase 2, teams are allowed three weeks of position and group drills and walkthroughs, and they can run seven-on-seven and team drills during OTAs and minicamp in Phase 3.
The Lions moved their mandatory minicamp to the end of their offseason program this year, after hosting it in early June last year.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions cancel rookie minicamp in 2026
Reporting by Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
