Category: 2020 Training Camp

Washington places TE Logan Thomas on Reserve/COVID list

TE Logan Thomas has been added to the Reserve/COVID list, meaning he either tested positive or came into contact with someone who did.

The Washington Football Team has placed tight end Logan Thomas on the Reserve/COVID-19 list to start training camp, signaling that the pass-catcher has either tested positive for the virus, or has come into contact with someone who has contracted the coronavirus, and he will be isolated until it is safe to return.

If Thomas did indeed test positive for COVID-19, then there are several steps that he will have to take before returning to the field. For players that test positive and are symptomatic, they can only return to the field once 10 days have passed since they first started feeling symptoms and at least 72 hours have gone by without experiencing any symptoms.

The good thing about all of this, if there are any, is that it is happening early enough in training camp that Thomas can likely recover and return to the lineup before too much damage is done. What’s important is that more players in Washington don’t get added to this Reserve/COVID list.

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In strange times, Adrian Peterson readies for intense RB competition

At 35 years old, AP will look to hold off 5 talented RBs to keep the top spot in Washington, with the threat of COVID ever-present.

As of Wednesday morning, training camp has finally begun.

While this camp will be unlike any other in NFL history due to the coronavirus pandemic, many players are working to adapt to the climate and try and be as safe as possible, adhering to protocols that are necessary to keep the virus at bay. Some players have chosen to opt out of the season and understandably so. But the players who are now in Ashburn — or wherever their respective training camp is — know that playing football is what they want to do, and this is just something that they’ll have to work with going forward.

That was Washington’s running back Adrian Peterson’s mindset on Wednesday when he showed up to the team facilities.

“Of course [COVID-19] is always a concern, but work is work,” Peterson said, via TMZ Sports. “We got to do what we got to do.”

At 35 years old, there’s no telling how many more seasons AP can squeeze in. Peterson will have as eventful of a camp as ever this year, with loads of competition. Just this week it was announced that Bryce Love had been cleared to play, and Peterson will also have Derrius Guice, Antonio Gibson, Peyton Barber and J.D. McKissic all to contend with for playing time.

It’s going to be an uphill battle for the veteran running on older legs. That’s not to say he isn’t up for the task, though. If we’ve learned anything from AP over the years, it’s to not count him out before he’s done.

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Ron Rivera isn’t focused on a hot start in 2020; says wins will come eventually

When asked if he plans to go with the hot hand over future plans to start the 2020 season, Rivera said he plans to reward hard workers.

When you look at the calendar today and it reads July 28, take a second to cherish that feeling. We’ve finally made it to training camp in an unprecedented NFL offseason.

With actual football getting set to take place, it’s important for every team in the league to set up some expectations for the season, whether low or high, and do what they can to achieve them. For the Washington Football Team, there is no harm in saying that expectations are low, but knowing that there are things more important than wins is the real key for fans of the team.

Wins are likely not going to be plentiful in the 2020 season, but that doesn’t mean that Washington won’t grow. For Ron Rivera, who is getting set to coach his first practices in Washington, there’s an understanding that the start of the season might be a bit of a slog, with a tough schedule and several players who are working to adapt to his way of doing things. He said as much when sitting down for an exclusive interview with The Athletic‘s Ben Standig on Monday:

I’m not worried about a good start. What I’m worried about is a good way of playing. In other words, I want to see us play hard, play physical. The winning will take care of itself if you do things right. If you take care of the little things, and you’re better at the little things than anybody else, you give yourself what you want. I am concerned with setting the tone, setting the tempo as to who we are. That will help us take care of the winning portion of it. We want to focus in on it.

The question that prompted that answer was about what Rivera would do if it became clear that playing Adrian Peterson over Derrius Guice early on would lead to more success, or if Kyle Allen presented a better opportunity for wins than Dwayne Haskins. Rivera doesn’t seem to care about measuring success by wins early on, but rather by hard work and doing things the right way.

If that sounds like a breath of fresh air in Washington to you, you’re not alone. In the coming weeks, we are going to finally see what the hype surrounding Rivera as a coach is all about, and it’s bound to be inspiring.

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5 questions you need to ask ahead of Washington’s 2020 training camp

With an unusual training camp on the horizon, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered going forward.

In a typical year where it doesn’t seem that the world is finding a new way to end every few days, the fact that we are entering the last week in July would mean one incredible thing: NFL training camps are set to begin soon, or are already getting started in some places.

However, this year is obviously different. Because of the novel coronavirus, the world has had to shift on its axis and work to figure out how to go on in the light of a global pandemic. Football is not alone in having to devise a plan to keep athletes, coaches, and fans safe going forward, but they are on the cusp of entering the spotlight. Training camp is coming, and though it will surely be different than years past, the need to get players ready for live-action is still present, with several more obstacles to deal with.

So have you been questioning how all of this is going to work, and what happens if a player tests positive for COVID-19 during camp or the season? We’ve got you covered on everything you need to know.

When does Training Camp 2020 start?

Quite simply the easiest question that we have in regards to camp, but unfortunately there isn’t a clear answer. That may tell you a bit about how sensitive this NFL season and schedule is to change. Rookies and skill players reported to camp last week, and many contracts were signed for the 2020 draft class. As this week rolls on, be ready to see more and more Washington players report to Ashburn, and ready for team activities to begin.

Where is Training Camp this year?

Because of COVID-19, each team is being forced to hold training camp at their team facilities, meaning that Washington won’t be able to make their yearly trip to Richmond, VA. for camp, and they will rather have to stay in Ashburn.

What happens if a player tests positive for COVID?

It’s inevitable, isn’t it? Tough as it may be, there are going to be players in the NFL who test positive for the coronavirus. What is important is how the NFL handles those players going forward.

The NFL and NFLPA have agreed on terms for what will happening during training camp and the season, and it was laid out by NBC Sports’ Peter King on Monday in his column:

  • If a player tests positive and is showing symptoms, at least 10 days must pass since the symptoms first occurred and at least 72 hours must have passed since symptoms last occurred. This likely means that such a player will miss at least two games.

  • If a player tests positive but is not showing symptoms, he can return either 10 days after the positive test or in just five days, if the player tests negative twice.

If you haven’t accepted the fact yet that this NFL season will be unlike any other in history, it’s time to come to that realization. Players are going to miss significant time because of the virus, and many will fight that, as asymptomatic positive results will happen.

Last week, the NFL reported that 59 players had already tested positive for the coronavirus at some point during the pandemic. As these hundreds of players start to get together to partake in a physical sport, there are bound to be more going forward.

Will there be any preseason games?

No. While it seemingly hasn’t been officially announced by the NFL and Roger Goodell, the NFLPA told their players last week that there would not be any preseason games. After the NFL was pushing to have the preseason cut down from 4 weeks to 2, players pushed even harder to have the preseason nixed completely, as they didn’t see the value in trying to add two meaningless games to an already monumental task of keeping players healthy.

Who in Washington is most at risk due to altered training camp?

It’s hard not to say that everyone in Washington will be severely impacted by this altered schedule in the NFL, mainly because it is a young team that is trying to mesh with a brand new coaching staff. However, there are a few players or groups of players who will take the bulk of the beating with missed preseason games and a shortened training camp schedule. Among them are Dwayne Haskins, bubble players hoping to make the 53-man roster, and rookies looking to transition into the NFL.

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