NFL to extend its virtual offseason through June 26

The NFL will cancel in-person minicamps until the end of the month due to the pandemic.

The NFL will have to wait to hold in-person minicamps for a few more weeks, as the league officially will be adhering to new training camp rules due to the coronavirus pandemic. One such rule is the extension of the league’s virtual offseason through June 26, pushing back on holding in-person minicamps for the remainder of the month.

NFL reporter Tom Pelissero first broke the news Thursday morning, stating that all 32 clubs have the option to extend their virtual offseason for another two weeks, or cancel it after this week. According to Pelissero, many of the NFL teams will discontinue their virtual offseasons after this week.

NFL will continue to hold off on in-person minicamps through June

The extension of the NFL’s virtual offseason through June was expected, considering the state of the coronavirus pandemic in mid-June. At the current time, it does not look as if there are any plans to move training camp from mid-to-late July as normally scheduled, though the camps will look a bit different than previous years.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all 32 teams will reportedly host their own training camps at their own facilities, meaning no joint practices or travel will be allowed for any of the teams. Keeping teams in their own bubbles is no doubt the best practice, but it remains to be seen just how large the gatherings will be or if teams will cut down on personnel to comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

As it stands, the league is set to hold their previously scheduled preseason games starting on Aug. 6, though given the state of things, it very well could change at any point. Unlike the NBA and NHL, who had to put their seasons on pause in mid-March, the NFL could very well be the least impacted by the coronavirus pandemic if things break perfectly by the late summer and fall.