As states continue to ease restrictions stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, the Tennessee Titans — along with the rest of the NFL — could see their coaching staff return to the team’s facility next week, and then have minicamp potentially start as early as June 15.
The news comes from Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson, who reports the target dates for full-squad minicamps to take place around the NFL are as early as June 15 or as late as June 27.
The sources told Yahoo Sports that if coaches resume their in-house work next week, minicamps including players could be scheduled as early as June 15 or as late as June 27, depending on COVID-19 data and whether a handful of franchises get a “go ahead” signal from state governments to resume full operations. Resuming full operations and getting a minicamp scheduled would represent the league’s biggest step to date toward keeping the 2020 NFL season on track for a regularly scheduled fall kickoff.
June 15 is closer to when full-squad minicamps normally take place, but June 27 is roughly two weeks later than normal.
Robinson says it isn’t clear if minicamps starting on the latter date will push back the start of training camp, which is scheduled to start in mid-July.
How quickly the NFL moves forward with this plan will depend on what happens in California, though, per Robinson’s report.
One league source told Yahoo Sports that a declaration from California governor Gavin Newsom will serve as the key hurdle in whether the NFL can pull off a fully operational minicamp in June. If Newsom opens the way for full team operations (without any fan attendance), the league could then give NFL franchises the option of holding a minicamp sometime in June, before breaking once again and setting dates for the opening of training camps.
“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 league source said.
The most recent step in the right direction for things getting back to normal was the Titans’ employees returning to the team’s facility on Tuesday, although that does not include players or coaches.
The #Titans have started to allow employees into the team's facility today. No coaches or players are allowed (other than the few who have been going there for rehab). The NFL has rules in place dictating that only up to 75 employees can return at this point.
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) May 26, 2020
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