The Kansas City Chiefs might not play a single preseason game in 2020.
According to a new report from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, NFLPA members voted against playing preseason games in 2020 during a conference call on Thursday afternoon. The union vote comes after reports that the NFL would be cutting the preseason down to two games. League ownership will still have to agree with the NFLPA’s vote for the NFL to cancel the preseason but it’s hard to believe they’ll put up much of a fight given the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here is what an updated training camp schedule might look like, sans preseason games, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
With the NFLPA still opposed to preseason games, one possible camp schedule the union has discussed:
3 days: medical/equipment
21 days: strength & conditioning
10 days: unpadded practice
14 days: practice (10 max/8 padded)Then it’d be straight into Week 1.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 3, 2020
A lack of preseason games could have a big impact for the Chiefs. They’d potentially go from training camp, with fewer players, straight into the toughest part of their schedule. They’ll play three playoff teams and a division rival in the first four weeks of the season, including two primetime games. Take a look:
| Week | Opponent | Time (CT) | Date | Channel |
| 1 | vs. Houston Texans | 7:20 p.m. Thu, Sept. 10th | NBC |
| 2 | at Los Angeles Chargers | 3:25 p.m. Sun, Sept. 20th | CBS |
| 3 | at Baltimore Ravens | 7:15 p.m. Mon, Sept. 28th | ESPN |
| 4 | vs. New England Patriots | 3:25 p.m. Sun, Oct. 4th | CBS |
The preseason is usually a time where Kansas City can ramp-up starting players with each consecutive week. They work out the kinks on offense, defense and special teams. Without that work, there’s potential for some seriously sloppy play in the first few weeks of the season. It won’t just be the Chiefs struggling, it’ll be the same across the league too.
Additionally, rookies will go from a potentially rushed training camp into the regular season, without playing so much as a snap of professional football. This could cause players like Clyde Edwards-Helaire to be brought along more slowly than he normally would be.
Another big challenge will be the team deciding what players make the 53-man roster. Undrafted free agents won’t have four preseason games worth of tape to impress the coaching staff. That’ll put an increased emphasis on their practice repetitions if they’re to make the roster in September.
We’ll see if the NFL agrees with the NFLPA’s vote, but a canceled preseason would certainly make things much more challenging for Kansas City heading into the 2020 season.
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