when does the nfl combine start
The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine officially runs from February 22 to March 2, 2026, with the main fan-facing and televised on-field workouts taking place from Thursday, February 26 through Sunday, March 1, 2026.
Key dates at a glance
- Overall combine window: February 22 â March 2, 2026.
- On-field workouts (what most fans care about): February 26 â March 1, 2026.
- Location every day: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Fan perspective: âWhen does it start for me?â
If youâre asking âwhen does the NFL Combine startâ in the sense of when you can actually watch drills and coverage:
- First televised/live drill coverage begins Thursday, February 26, 2026.
- Coverage runs daily through Sunday, March 1, typically in the afternoon/evening TV windows on NFL Network and streaming on NFL+.
So for most fans, the combine âstartsâ on February 26, 2026 , when players first hit the field for timed drills and workouts.
Behind-the-scenes start
If youâre thinking about the full event from a league/team standpoint:
- Players begin arriving and going through registration, medicals, interviews, and orientation as early as SundayâMonday, February 22â23, 2026.
- Those early days are heavy on medical exams, measurements, and team interviews, with no public drills yet.
Mini timeline of the 2026 combine
- Feb 22â25:
- Player arrivals, registration, medical testing, measurements, team interviews.
- Feb 26âMar 1:
- Onâfield workouts by position groups at Lucas Oil Stadium (defensive front seven, DBs/TEs, then QBs/WRs/RBs, then OL).
- Mar 2:
- Final bench work, departures, wrapâup.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.