The Jets are one step closer to hitting the practice field for the first time this offseason.
Rookies, quarterbacks and injured players will be tested for COVID-19 on Friday, according to the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta. They will then be tested again on Monday, July 27, per NFL and NFL Players Association protocol. If they receive negative results for both tests, they will be allowed to enter the Jets’ facilities on Tuesday, July 28 for the first time this offseason. In between the tests, the players will participate in virtual meetings.
All 18 rookies are currently sequestered in a hotel in New Jersey and were originally supposed to be tested Tuesday, but the Jets didn’t feel comfortable with the lack of clarity from the league on a testing plan for training camp in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The league protocol stated rookies would be tested twice in a five-day span starting Tuesday and would only be allowed to report to training camp after two negative tests. Then, players would be tested every day for two weeks until the positive test rate dropped below 5 percent when the testing would occur every other day.
There hasn’t been much information past that strategy, though.
Now, the team must feel comfortable enough with the NFL’s plan to allow its rookies to be tested and possibly allowed to enter the Jets’ facilities.