NFL Players Association: No players should practice together in private workouts

The NFLPA cancelled the private, in-person workouts Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers were holding in Nashville.

As the United States begins to re-open after shutdowns to slow the spread of COVID-19, cases of the virus have started to climb again. On Friday it was announced the 49ers had at least one player contract the disease from a group workout with several teammates in Nashville. The NFL Players Association on Saturday released a statement from Medical Director Dr. Thom Mayer, advising against group workouts.

49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was holding workouts at San Jose State with a group of players to work on some of the things the team discussed in their online meetings. The NFL is still not allowing players into team facilities, and has cancelled in-person minicamps until at least July.

San Francisco’s player-run workouts moved from San Jose to Nashville last week, which is where a player came down with COVID-19, forcing all the players involved to get tested and isolate themselves while awaiting results. At press time it was not made clear which player tested positive.

This NFLPA statement comes on the heels of Major League Baseball shutting down spring training facilities after multiple teams saw outbreaks, including five players and three staffers for the Phillies.

There’s been no statement from the league on pushing back the preseason schedule. Training camps typically open in late July, and the 49ers’ preseason opener is on August 15. There’s still a chance the league is able to meet the safety benchmarks required to be at full speed by the time camps start, but the NFLPA advising the cancellation of private workouts involving multiple players isn’t a positive step toward the league maintaining normalcy by mid-July.