Commissioner Roger Goodell reached out to all 32 NFL teams Wednesday, alerting them to the protocols regarding the upcoming season and regarding the reopening of their facilities.
“It is impossible to project what the next few months will bring,” Goodell wrote. “Uninformed commentary that speculates on how individual clubs or the league will address a range of hypothetical contingencies serves to constructive purpose and instead confuses our fans and business partners, complicates the operations of other clubs, and distracts from the careful planning that is needed right now.”
Memo that went today from Roger Goodell to team presidents and executives regarding the 2020 season and the reopening of club facilities: pic.twitter.com/GpueTkPH2u
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 7, 2020
The memo describes plans for teams to have a “safe and phased reopening.”
The NFL tonight issued a memo laying out protocols to teams on how club facilities may reopen, including consent from local state government officials, establishment of a club infection response team, social distancing, temperature screening and other measures, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 6, 2020
Phase 1 would allow for up to 50% of a team’s non-player employees to occupy the facility on any given day, up to a maximum of 75.
No players would be permitted in team buildings, unless resuming a course of rehabilitation that was already underway when facilities were first closed.
That phase could begin as soon as May 15. After that, the league will weigh its options for Phase 2, though teams are encouraged to refine their own policies in accordance with local law and fluctuating conditions.