Tag: NFL coronavirus

Report: NFL cancels 2 preseason games

The NFL has cut the preseason in half as the country continues to see spikes in the number of infected with COVID-19.

An already tumultuous offseason will continue to be modified due to the coronavirus pandemic. The NFL is canceling two preseason games — specifically the first and last scrimmages — according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert and PFT’s Mike Florio.

For the Baltimore Ravens, that will mean preseason games against the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins will be scrapped. However, it does mean Baltimore will play against the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers this preseason, with the Ravens meeting the Cowboys again in the regular season (Week 13). It will also be the first time since 2016 that Baltimore and Washington haven’t squared off in the preseason.

By removing the first game of the preseason, the NFL’s decision will give teams more time to prepare. With in-person minicamps canceled this offseason, training camp marks the first time coaches and players will be on the practice field together since last season. In Baltimore’s case, their first preseason game will be on Aug. 22, nearly a month after the start of training camp. The decision to shorten the preseason this year also limits the amount of travel being done as the country continues to see the number of cases of infected rise.

The last preseason game is often the one that fans dislike the most. Because it’s closer to the regular season, teams don’t often play their starters at all and leave those reps for players on the bubble. For fans, that ultimately watching a bunch of third and fourth stringers, many of whom aren’t going to be one the team days later when rosters get trimmed to 53 players.

While the regular season hasn’t yet been impacted by these changes, training camp and the preseason will be the league’s first real test of their protocols.

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Optimistic Lane Johnson weighs-in on the risk of playing 2020 NFL season amid the coronavirus

Lane Johnson ready for NFL season despite concern over the coronavirus

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Lane Johnson like many Americans is ready to get back to a sense of normalcy in our country and sports will play a huge role in our comeback.

The NFL is set to proceed as scheduled with most teams reporting to training camp on July 28. For the Eagles and their star right tackle, the return to the NovaCare complex is a “risk that we are all willing to take” as Johnson told Jeff Skversky of 6ABC that he is hopeful for a 2020 regular season.

When asked if he had any concerns about possibly contracting the coronavirus, Johnson had a realistic approach to the task at hand.

“I mean yeah,” Johnson said.”

“Ultimately it’s a risk that we are all willing to take if you go outside of your house or whatever you’re doing like going shopping. I’ve been doing a pretty good job at staying in the house and keeping my social distancing protocols in so yeah, with everybody it’s going to be a risk that we are going to have to take and see what happens.”

The Eagles are scheduled to open the preseason on Aug. 13 in Indianapolis, with the first home preseason game scheduled for Aug. 27 against the Patriots. The NFL is currently weighing playing only two preseason games.

The regular-season home opener is Sept. 20 against the Rams.

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Sound off: Will the 2020 NFL season begin on time?

Poll: Do you feel the 2020 NFL season will begin as scheduled?

There is much uncertainty about where it all goes from here, the COVID-19 pandemic appears far from over. While it feels like the collective sports world is inching closer to reopening at varying stages this summer, one has to question whether the NFL will indeed be able to begin the season as planned on Thursday, Sept. 10.

Early indications suggest there could be games without fans, but it would at least allow the contests to be played. We’re hearing reports of a reduced preseason slate, as well, and there remains a hint of doubt surrounding training camps.

Where we currently sit, armed with the ever-changing knowledge we possess, do you feel the 2020 NFL season will begin as scheduled?

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Ravens coach John Harbaugh calls NFL’s COVID-19 protocols ‘humanly impossible’

With training camp little more than a month away, Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh called the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols “impossible.”

The NFL is beginning to prepare for players to return at training camp as they gear up for the regular season. But the league’s COVID-19 protocols aren’t sitting right with Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who said he feels they’re unrealistic.

“I’ve seen all the memos on that, and to be quite honest with you, it’s impossible what they’re asking us to do. Humanly impossible,” Harbaugh said on 105.7’s Inside Access.

The NFL released a set of initial protocols for players to return to team facilities. They involved staff members wearing a mask when in the building, football equipment to be disinfected after use, and locker rooms to be staged to ensure players stay six feet apart.

Even though the Under Armour Performance Center is spacious, the idea of 90 players being on the roster while needing to practice and use the facilities makes these restrictions a tougher proposition, according to Harbaugh.

“We have to practice and I’m pretty sure the huddle is not going to be six feet spaced,” Harbaugh continued. “Are guys going to shower one at a time all day? Are guys going to lift weights one at a time all day? These are things the league and the PA needs to get a handle on and needs to get agreed with some common sense so we can operate in a 13-hour day in training camp that they’re giving us and get our work done. That’s the one thing, you can tell by my voice, I’m a little frustrated with what I’m hearing there. And I think they need to get that pinned down a little better.”

Commissioner Roger Goodell noted in his memo to teams that the protocols are likely to change as more information about the virus comes to light. Harbaugh also acknowledged the restrictions could change and ease up before training camp.

“Now maybe we’ll know more in two months and they’ll be able to be a little more realistic and practical in what they’re asking,” Harbaugh said. “I expect that to be the case. I think good people, smart people are involved in this. But the way I’m reading these memos right now, you throw your hands up and you go, ‘What the heck? There’s no way this can be right.’”

Even though Harbaugh was clearly upset with the protocols and how they’d make the already difficult task of getting the players prepared a harder one, he did say the Ravens were going to do everything possible to implement the league’s rules. Baltimore is currently scheduled to open training camp at its Under Armour Performance Center facility on July 28.

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Report: NFL looking at possibility of shortened 2020 preseason

The NFL has taken a look at shortening the preseason with the coronavirus still going in an effort to better prepare for the regular season

The NFL is still currently scheduled to start the 2020 regular season on time despite the coronavirus pandemic. However, there has been discussions between the NFL and NFLPA about the possibility of shortening the preseason in some capacity, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The catalyst behind a potentially shortened preseason would be to allow teams, players, and coaches more time to prepare for the regular season, per Pelissero. Though the NFL has allowed coaching staffs to return to their respective training facilities, players are still prohibited from returning barring for injury purposes. There’s hope training camp will start on time, with the league setting protocols earlier this week. But with limited knowledge of the virus and the potential for it to further spread, the NFL seems like they want to get some backup plans in place in case they have to further limit teams from getting together.

The Baltimore Ravens previously released their preseason schedule, starting with the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 14. The regular season begins for Baltimore against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 13.

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NFL sets initial protocols for players returning to training facilities

With coaching staffs and employees now returning to team facilities, the NFL has created protocols for players to return as well.

The NFL has slowly begun allowing teams to reopen their training facilities. After allowing a small number of employees to come back in March, the league began allowing coaching staffs to return Friday of last week. With training camp on the horizon, the next step is for players to return as well.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sent out a memo outlining the initial protocols for players to return, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Though Goodell noted the protocols were developed based on the understanding of the coronavirus at this point, he cautioned that things are expected to change as medical experts continue to gain more knowledge of the disease.

The protocols involve reconfiguring locker rooms to keep players six feet apart, as well as details about mask usage, the disinfecting of equipment, and how meetings can be held.

While no dates have been set and there’s no agreement in place, Pelissero also said the NFL and NFLPA have been talking about allowing some players to return to team facilities ahead of time. Though nothing is guaranteed, these protocols and discussions mark a clearer path towards teams being able to hold practices ahead of the 2020 regular season. Whether that means some type of minicamp, a full-blown training camp, or some other type of arrangement will have to be seen.

Baltimore Ravens coaches returned to the Under Armour Performance Center today for the first time since it closed in March.

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Ravens announce re-opening of Under Armour Performance Center training facility

With the state of Maryland beginning to ease restrictions from the coronavirus pandemic, the Baltimore Ravens were able to re-open.

The Baltimore Ravens joined most of the NFL in re-opening their doors on Tuesday. After initially closing their training facility and having staff work remotely in March, Baltimore’s Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills is in the beginning stages of re-opening.

The Ravens got the go-ahead from Governor Larry Hogan to open their training facility and M&T Bank Stadium in accordance with the first phase of the NFL’s return policy.

Under the NFL’s rules, coaches are still not allowed to return, as are any players not currently rehabilitating an injury. Baltimore, like the rest of the league, is also limited to no more than 75 staff members in the building at a time. The Ravens will bring back staff from the equipment crew, football video, and personnel department, according to Ryan Mink of the team’s website.

There’s hope the NFL will allow coaches to return as early as next week, according to Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson, though nothing has been confirmed by the league or the NFLPA. However, any further strides in re-opening facilities could mark the start of football returning somewhat to normal in time for minicamps and training camp. Ravens president Dick Cass had previously said he thought the league would be prepared to open back up in time for training camp, with enough testing and regulations in place to keep everyone safe.

“We believe by the time of training camp, we’ll be able to test players and coaches, and those who meet together a lot, multiple times a week and be able to get results fairly quickly,” Cass said on “The Lounge” podcast.

“If the infection rate is really low, as I expect it will be by late summer, and we have adequate testing, and people are careful when they leave the building, I think there’s a really good shot that we’ll be OK.”

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Eagles could hold mid-June minicamp as NFL coaches begin return to team facilities

Eagles and other NFL teams could possibly hold June minicamps

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As cities and states along the Northeast start to reopen for business, Yahoo Sports NFL Insider Charles Robinson is reporting that NFL head coaches could start to return to team facilities as early as next week.

Robinson is also reporting that as the proper steps continue to get taken during the Covid-19 pandemic, teams in certain cities could start to gather for mid-June minicamps.

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.

Robinson is also reporting that California could play a large role in whether teams actually start to gather for minicamps before again returning home to their families until the start of late July or early August 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.

Philadelphia and surrounding eastern Pennsylvania counties are scheduled to enter the yellow phase on June 5.

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Eagles among 20 NFL teams to start virtual offseason workout programs

Philadelphia Eagles start virtual offseason workout program on Monday

The NFL Draft is a wrap and the league offseason will proceed as the Philadelphia Eagles and about 31 other teams would be engulfed in the start of offseason workouts and OTAs. That won’t be the case this year, as the coronavirus pandemic has pushed back the start of teams’ offseason programs.

With the COVID-19 crisis shutting down operations on the field, the NFL has allowed teams to start their offseason workout programs online and the Eagles were one of 20 teams set to begin.

The Eagles would be in phase-1 of the program, with weight training and physical rehabilitation being the staple for the first few weeks. The Eagles won’t be able to get any onfield work done due to the pandemic, but the team can do virtual classwork and that should allow Carson Wentz some opportunity to begin forming a bond with his young receivers.

Guys like Jalen Mills, Andre Dillard, and the Eagles free-agent signees will suffer the most from the loss of time at the NovaCare Complex.

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Ndamukong Suh on a bike just might be the greatest thing ever

Take a look at how Buccaneers defensive end Ndamukong Suh is staying in shape while practicing social distancing.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought the term “social distancing” to the forefront. As the world works to combat the virus, self-quarantine and isolation is one of the ways we can help do our part.

Athletes are also having to adjust their lives and schedules to accommodate the changes that have come as a result of the virus. Gone are the grueling hours spent in the gym or on the field perfecting their craft. Instead, they’ll have to find new ways to stay in shape.

For Buccaneers defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, that means hitting the bike. And, as you can see from his recent Instagram post, him on a bike just might be the greatest thing ever.

Take a look.

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Social Distancing #quarantinelife

A post shared by Ndamukong Suh (@ndamukong_suh) on

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