NFL training camps are set for July 28 in new memo
NFL Training Camp is a full go this season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
After days of back and forth between the NFL and NFLPA, we have official liftoff for the 2020 season.
According to Tom Pellissero, Troy Vincent sent a league-wide memo to head coaches and general managers on Saturday morning stating that rookies report July 21, quarterbacks and injured players on the July 23 and everyone else on July 28.
#Chiefs QBs and rookies and #Texans rookies are the first scheduled to report Monday. All other clubs can have rookies report as early as Tuesday, with vets for all 32 clubs due in camp July 28.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 18, 2020
Meanwhile, talks between the NFL and NFLPA on protocols continue. https://t.co/2M8bcHzyEC
The only exceptions are the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans, who will predate those scheduled deadlines as they open the season on Sept. 10.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes voiced his frustration with the NFL and NFLPA on Twitter in response to Pelliserro’s ongoing coverage of the COVID testing and other safety protocols. Texans defensive end J.J. Watt went so far as to post a detailed list of what the players do and don’t know about how the league plans to move forward.
The players have every right to be frustrated given the NFL had plenty of time to get safety protocols in place. The memo is a positive step.
What remains to be seen is how they handle positive COVID tests. What will happen if there are double-digit positive test results on a single team? While protocols have been put in place for quarantine length and whatnot, there’s still the actual logistics to go through. These are only a few questions still left to be answered.
The process of dealing with and adapting to his new normal has been tough for the sports world but the NFL has at least given its fans some hope.