As expected, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the rest of the NFL won’t be having minicamps as they’ve had in the past due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero. They will also be extending their virtual period through June 26.
The NFL has notified teams the virtual period for offseason work will be extended through June 26, but there will be no in-person minicamps this month, per sources. Expected, and now official.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 11, 2020
Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to all 32 teams which was highlighted with the following message:
“Although under a traditional schedule, mandatory minicamps are scheduled to open next week, after discussion with the CEC, we have concluded that it would be prudent not to hold in-person minicamps under the current circumstances and have instead determined to extend the Virtual Period through and including June 26. We will continue working with the NFLPA to conclude the remaining protocols and finalize arrangements for the safe opening of training camps next month.
Clubs have the option to continue their virtual offseason programs through June 26 or discontinue them after this week. All offseason workout programs must conclude by June 26.’’
As we’ve mentioned in the past, the elimination of minicamp could especially hurt a team as young as the Jags. They used all 12 of their draft selections this past April and signed 18 undrafted rookies, so needless to say, they could be the youngest team in the NFL when their final roster is compiled.
Last week it was also announced that all teams would have to remain at their facilities for training camp, eliminating the Jags’ joint practice session with the Tampa Bay Bucs and taking another opportunity for their rookies to get some valuable experience. Nonetheless, it’s completely understandable with the coronavirus being an issue as the player’s safety comes first.
With this news surfacing, it looks like the Jags (and a majority of the NFL) won’t return to the field until July 28 thanks to the Collective Bargaining Agreement’s ruling to have teams return 47 or 48 days before Week 1 of the regular season.