The NFL’s efforts to align their teams for a successful return to the gridiron this fall have been calculated, deliberate and thus far appear to be headed in the right direction. There’s been steady progress on reopening of team facilities — with coaches now permitted to return to the team facilities and players looming as the next addition on the horizon.
And although there is no firm dates set for training camps or mini-camps at this point in time, there is reportedly some ongoing discussion that new player additions may be permitted to step into the building within just a few weeks.
No dates set yet and no minicamps expected, but the NFL and NFLPA are discussing the possibility of certain players — such as rookies, and veterans who changed teams and need physicals — returning to club facilities on a limited basis before June 26, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 8, 2020
Formalizing dates on this front will be yet another step towards a regularly scheduled football season amid to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic — with momentum continuing to build that there will be necessary testing procedures in place to be able to avoid any out of control spreading of the virus. That’s a key difference between the NFL’s efforts to get aligned and many of the other sports leagues; the NFL had time on their side when the closures first started being mandated in the name of public safety. And with that time, it is clear the league has been focused on procedures and protocols that will offer the best chance of a “normal” football season — even if the availability of fans is unclear at this point in time.
With some other sports returning to action this week (PGA and boxing included) and others (NASCAR and UFC) already off and running, football fans can find some optimism that the NFL’s efforts to field their games as scheduled will pay off in the coming months. Getting players in need of physicals into the building will be an important, key step in the process — and it may be just around the corner.