According to a report from Yahoo! Sports’ Charles Robinson, in which the reporter spoke with several NFL sources, the NFL could be readying to have their head coaches return to facilities as early as next week — and that this action could lead the way to possible minicamps in June.
One source told Robinson that if California Governor Gavin Newsom opens the door to full team operations, that could lead the way for the NFL to start planning minicamps.
“If California is open for [team] operations soon, minicamps can still happen in June — probably late June, I’d think — but maybe even mid-June,” the source said.
Another source told Robinson that June 15 and June 27th have been identified as potential minicamp dates. Recently, Newsom did float the idea of pro sports returning to California sooner than later.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state could see pro sports return by the first week of June without fans. pic.twitter.com/j4PPg56Yn7
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 18, 2020
“A number of other sectors of our economy will open up again if we hold these [positive] trend lines in the next number of weeks,” Newsom concluded on May 18. Clearly, any spike that reverses those trend lines would affect any additional player participation.
On the same day, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that his state will help teams that want to start opening.
.@NYGovCuomo: “I want to watch the Bills.” Cuomo says major league teams should start planning to reopen without fans, the state will assist them. pic.twitter.com/6Nn13OC8bv
— Marlee Tuskes (@MarleeTuskesTV) May 18, 2020
On Tuesday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced that all professional sports teams in his state are allowed to plan for and begin training camp activities as long as they’re following necessary health protocols.
“We have been in constant discussions with teams about necessary protocols to protect the health and safety of players, coaches, and personnel,” Murphy said in a Twitter statement.
As minicamps are generally private entities, observed by team representatives, credentialed reporters, and selected team guests and VIPs, it would be easy enough to practice social distancing for those in attendance. How even non-contact practices would fall under those guidelines is entirely another matter, and the NFLPA would obviously have to sign off on any player participation, but this is an encouraging step for those who have worried about the viability of a 2020 NFL season in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Training camps are generally attended by fans, but with the NFL looking at the possibility of starting the season with games in stadiums with no fans, one would imagine a similar scenario when padded, contact-filled practices begin.
Again, a lot has to happen here. Right now, this is all in the realm of the hypothetical. Testing numbers and overall curves have to continue to go in the right directions in the right places for prescribed periods of time.
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross recently said on CNBC that he anticipates a 2020 NFL season, and if all these possibilities happen to come true, that seems a likely scenario — again, under all the right protocols.
“I think there definitely will be a football season this year,” Ross said on Tuesday. “Real question is, will there be fans in the stadium? Right now — today — we’re planning to have fans in the stadium. We all miss our sports. The NFL, I think, will be ready to go. I know we’re all looking forward to it. I know I am.”