Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced Friday that professional sports teams can begin practicing at their own facilities starting on June 6. Baker said there will be safety precautions involved and the facilities will not be open to the public.
“We all hope at some point opening practice facilities will help make that happen a little sooner,” Baker said. “You know, there’s just so many times you can watch the Patriots beat the Falcons or the Celtics beat the Lakers or the Bruins beat the Canucks or the Red Sox beat the Yankees or the Cardinals or the Angels. At some point it’s got to be live and for all of us, live sports and especially pro sports would be a great thing to see again because not only will it be a significant milestone for those of us who are fans, but it will also send a big signal that we’ve continued to do the things that we need to do to contain and control the virus to keep it in check.”
This doesn’t necessarily mean the New England Patriots can dive right into OTA’s or minicamp though. The NFL is restricting players or coaches from returning to the facilities until all states open up — keeping the playing field level.
If all teams are permitted to return to facilities next week, then the Patriots can begin their season. But, they’ll play a waiting game until all facilities league-wide are open.
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