Tag: NFL preseason

NFL is officially canceling the 2020 preseason

NFL is officially canceling the 2020 preseason as well as reducing the training camp roster size from 90 to 80

It went from four exhibition games down to two, and now those two preseason games are also gone. There will be no preseason football for the NFL in 2020.

The NFL and NFLPA agreed to cancel the exhibition season on Tuesday after both sides concluded that the logistics and risks of exhibition games would not help advance the goal of starting the regular season on time. Union reps informed the players on their respective teams on Tuesday night.

The Lions were originally scheduled to play all four AFC East teams in the preseason. That got shaved to just two, a trip to Miami and a home date with the New York Jets. Now both of those exhibitions are canceled as well.

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In addition, Mike Jones of USA TODAY is reporting the roster size will be reduced from 90 to 80 for training camp.

NFL agrees to cancel preseason, limits camp rosters to only 80 players

The first game at SoFi Stadium will be on Sept. 13 between the Rams and Cowboys.

The NFL and NFLPA agreed to cancel the preseason this year in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to Mike Jones of USA TODAY. It was a recommendation from the Players’ Association, which was agreed to by the league on Tuesday night.

Additionally, roster sizes for training camp are expected to be trimmed by 10 players. Rather than the usual 90-man rosters teams are allowed in a typical year, they’ll be limited to only 80 this summer.

Here are more updates from Tuesday night’s conference call with players, via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The Rams currently have 90 players on their roster, which means they’ll have to cut 10 players before camp starts next week. All players are expected to report by July 28.

There will be some difficult decisions to be made, but considering the Rams signed 22 undrafted free agents this year, it’s almost certain that a large number of the team’s initial cuts will come from that pool of players.

With the preseason canceled, the first game at SoFi Stadium will be Rams-Cowboys on Sept. 13 – a Sunday night matchup in Week 1 of the regular season.

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Broncos might play one preseason game this year

The NFL has proposed each team playing just one preseason game this season.

After initially planning to trim the preseason from four games down to two games, the NFL proposed a one-game preseason schedule to the NFLPA this week, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The players’ union — including Broncos kicker Brandon McManus — lobbied for no preseason games so players would have more time to get back in shape before the start of the regular season.

If the NFLPA accepts the league’s proposal, the two sides will be compromising with a one-game schedule. The games originally scheduled for Week 3 would be played under the league’s proposal.

Denver was originally scheduled to play the 49ers in Week 1, (Aug. 15), the Bears in Week 2 (Aug. 22), the Rams in Week 3 (Aug. 29) and the Cardinals in Week 4 (Sept. 3). The Broncos will only play Los Angeles (on the road) if the one-game proposal is accepted.

While preseason is poised to change, the league still plans to play “a full regular season and postseason,” according to Pelissero.

After preseason, Denver will trim the roster from the current 90 players down to 53 players (here’s our 53-man roster prediction). The Broncos might also trade a few players as the roster cuts deadline draws closer.

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Report: NFL proposes just one preseason game, players still opposed

NFL, NFLPA on different sides in terms of playing one preseason game.

The Bills are getting closer and closer to reporting to training camp. In fact, rookies do on Tuesday. But there’s still an uncertainty on how things will go down due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in the United States.

On Sunday, NFL players, including Bills safety Micah Hyde and wide receiver Stefon Diggs, jointly started a “We Want To Play” social media campaign to shed light on the issues. The players don’t feel safe enough to return to action under guidelines the owners are proposing. Monday has now seen another disagreement between the NFL and NFLPA come about.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the NFL is proposing one preseason game this August. The players want none.

In addition, players want a 21-day accumulation period upon returning as well. So far this offseason, teams haven’t been able to workout at all together, at least not for OTAs or anything outside of meeting on their own. Coaches haven’t been involved at all. When rookies report on Tuesday, it will actually be the first time they’ve been to their team facilities in general.

Because of this, players want as much time as possible to acclimate without playing any games at all. There’s also safety concerns with playing a game while COVID-19 is still going on.

But if that one preseason game does happen, it’d be Week 3 of the preseason, reportedly. The week in the team’s preseason schedule released earlier this offseason has the Bills hosting the Colts.

 

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Report: NFL proposes one preseason game, players still opposed

The latest news is the league has proposed one preseason game, according to Tom Pelissero at NFL Network.

Rookies for the Chiefs and the Texas (who play the 2020 season opener) report to training camp today. What the season will look like or how we get there is still very much up in the air, though. Yesterday, dozens of star players took to Twitter in a coordinated campcaign to air concerns about the lack of agreement over safety protocols due to the pandemic.

Another major issue that has yet to be resolved is the preseason schedule. Previously, the NFL proposed cutting those games from four to two. The NFLPA did not agree, though. Considering the risk involved, they don’t want to play any.

The latest news is the league has proposed one preseason game, according to Tom Pelissero at NFL Network. Players are still opposed. Pelissero followed up with another tweet, stating that the one proposed preseason game would be the third on the schedule, slated for the week of Aug. 27.

For the Panthers, the third preseason game this year is scheduled to be against the Ravens on Sunday, Aug. 30. If it takes place, it will be televised nationally on NBC.

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Report: There is ‘an increasing likelihood’ of no NFL preseason games

It sounds like the NFL might not have any preseason games this summer.

Earlier this month, reports emerged that the NFL plans to trim preseason from four games down to two games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The players’ union still hasn’t agreed to any preseason games.

Two weeks ago, Broncos kicker Brandon McManus — the team’s NFLPA rep — said fans should expect one or zero games in August. It sounds like the kicker might be right.

There is “an increasing likelihood” that there won’t be any preseason games this year, according to The Athletic‘s Jeff Schultz. There also won’t be any fans at training camp practices this summer, according to multiple reports.

The NFLPA wants to have a longer training camp period with no preseason games to give players more time to get in shape ahead of the regular season. There were no on-field organized team activities or minicamps this spring because of the coronavirus.

The NFL is still planning to have a regular season but preseason appears to be in jeopardy. Here’s a look at Denver’s tentative preseason schedule.

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Cowboys News: Patrick-to-Prescott correlation, Covid protocols, Dez no call

Patrick Mahomes new deal leads to Cowboys, Dak Prescott contract prediction :: Cowboys Wire

The Patrick Mahomes contract reset the quarterback market and set a new bar for the position. The Cowboys are the next team expected to sign their signal caller to a lofty extension, and the Mahomes deal may help lay some guidelines for the next Prescott contract. Our own K.D. Drummond inspects every aspect of the Cowboys and Prescott’s discussions. 

Patrick Mahomes’ record-breaking deal with the Chiefs could either be a blessing or a curse for the Cowboys in discussions with their franchise quarterback Dak Prescott. Our own K.D. Drummond deep dives into every aspect of the anticipated Prescott extension, including how the Mahomes mega-deal impacts it.

Jerry Jones silence on the recent racial tensions in America has been headline news, and another Cowboy, the newly-signed Dontari Poe, has just voiced his opinion on the issue involving the Dallas’ owner. The NFL and the NFL Players Association have different plans for how the preseason should be handled, The NFL is ready to continue as planned, and the league has revealed to the teams the protocol for training camps to begin in late July. Plus, is Dez Bryant to Dallas a dead rumor? And is the kicker positional battle for the Cowboys closer than people think? All that and more, here in the Cowboys news and notes.

Patrick Mahomes new deal leads to Cowboys, Dak Prescott contract prediction :: Cowboys Wire

The Patrick Mahomes contract reset the quarterback market and set a new bar for the position. The Cowboys are the next team expected to sign their signal caller to a lofty extension, and the Mahomes deal may help lay some guidelines for the next Prescott contract. Our own K.D. Drummond inspects every aspect of the Cowboys and Prescott’s discussions.

5 Questions As The Dak Deal Deadline Nears :: The Mothership

As of now, Dak Prescott will play the 2019-2020 season on the franchise tag. July 15 is a date that means a lot in regards to the contract deliberations, and that deadline is a lot closer than it was when Prescott was first franchise tagged by the Cowboys. Learn more about the potential outcomes of the negotiations between the Cowboys and Prescott.

Cowboys’ Dontari Poe to Jerry Jones: ‘We need to know we have your support’ :: Cowboys Wire

The Dallas Cowboys put out a statement on racial injustice a few weeks ago, but owner Jerry Jones has refrained from putting out a personal statement. It seems odd for the most outspoken owner in American sports to be this quiet on a topic this important, and Dontari Poe is the latest Cowboy to question Jones about his silence.

NFL, NFLPA fight over preseason games ‘just getting started’ :: Cowboys Wire

Both the NFL and the NFL Players association want the season to play out as planned, but there are differing opinions on how much of the preseason should be played. Our own Todd Brock reports on how the players want the preseason handled, according to NFLPA President J.C. Trotter, and how that compares to the recent statements from the league office.

Why a Dez Bryant reunion with the Cowboys is not a real possibility :: Blogging The Boys

The Cowboys’ fourth wide receiver is still a question mark, and Dez Bryant wants to return to Dallas for a smaller role than he once had. So why is the reunion seeming unlikely? Matt Holleran from Blogging the Boys discusses some reasons that are keeping Bryant on the market.

NFL sends COVID-19 protocols for camp, preseason to clubs :: NFL.com

A meaty- and sobering- 40-page document has hit the inboxes of all 32 NFL teams, outlining everything from laundry procedures and media access to player testing and symptom monitoring guidelines.

Nationals cancel practice because of testing delays :: ProFootballTalk

In an MLB development that merits watching by the NFL, the Washington Nationals canceled their Monday practice session after the results of Covid tests taken on Friday- promised within 24 hours- were still unknown as of Monday morning. It’s a troubling omen for the prospect of bringing sports back in the current climate.

Film Room: Who is the better Cowboys CB – Jourdan Lewis or Anthony Brown? :: Dallas Morning News

John Owning went into this head-to-head examination thinking he knew who the better corner was. While his film study leads him to find “that the two are much closer than the other side’s fans will lead you to believe,” Owning changes his mind and gives the former Wolverine the slightest of nods over the ex-Boilermaker.

Mailbag: Are we writing off Forbath too soon? :: The Mothership

The signing of Greg Zuerlein and his reunion in Dallas with new special teams guru John Fassel was big news. But don’t pack Kai Forbath’s bags quite yet. He was perfect in three games as a Cowboy last year, and at this position, consistency routinely beats name recognition.

 

NFL, NFLPA at odds over preseason, training camp plans

NFL, NFLPA at odds over 2020 preseason, training camp plans.

Last week, it was reported that the NFL was cutting the 2020 preseason schedule in half, eliminating the Week 1 and Week 4 matchups. However, the NFLPA didn’t agree to that and we’ve since learned that they are opposed to playing preseason games this year altogether.

Training camp is set to begin for most teams three weeks from today, but there doesn’t seem to be any progress, here.

Today, Tom Pelissero at NFL Network outlined the disconnect between the two sides on how things should be proceeding.

The players union released its own statement via president JC Tretter, a center for the Browns. He says the league is ignoring its own experts’ advice, jeopardizing the safety of the players.

“The NFL initially accepted and implemented the Joint Committee’s suggestions, including items like no joint practices and no fans at training camp. However, the NFL was unwilling to follow the Joint Committee’s recommendation of a 48-day training camp schedule. Despite these experts’ assessment that teams face a serious risk of player-injury spikes this year (based on past NFL data and recent findings from sports leagues that have already returned to play this year), the NFL is unwilling to prioritize player safety and believes that the virus will bend to football.”

Meanwhile, some players are already saying that we won’t have a preseason. Here’s what Ravens quarterback RGIII tweeted today.

Few fans would cry over the loss of the preseason, but clearly there’s a lot of ground to cover before the real games can begin.

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Report: NFLPA pushing to do without preseason games in 2020

Earlier in the week, it was revealed that the league was pushing to cut the preseason in half, but it appears the players want to go a different route. Instead, the NFLPA is pushing to eliminate the preseason as a whole in 2020 and voted on the …

Earlier in the week, it was revealed that the league was pushing to cut the preseason in half, but it appears the players want to go a different route. Instead, the NFLPA is pushing to eliminate the preseason as a whole in 2020 and voted on the matter this weekend within themselves.

In a nutshell, the owners and players aren’t seeing eye-to-eye on the matter, as the owners feel the new collective bargaining agreement means that there should be some sort of a preseason although the nation is dealing with COVID-19.

The players, on the other hand, believe that the agreement to construct a joint task force (with the NFL) back in March to combat COVID-19 gives them a big say in whether the safety and health conditions are favorable for a return. Of course, with coronavirus cases on the rise, the players now have concerns and basically would prefer to not jeopardize their health any more than they have to before the regular season.

Per NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the NFLPA countered with the idea to have a 45-day time frame before returning for Week 1’s schedule of games. The first phase would be a three-day period for medical and equipment evaluations. In other words, this would be the time to get physicals done. As for the equipment part, what they might be referring to are things to make the work conditions safer.

Phase 2 would be a 21-day period to work on strength and conditioning although the league had virtual workouts. After that would come the third phase where the team would take the practice fields for non-padded OTA-like sessions for 10 days. Lastly, for the final phase (of 14 days), the team would move to the more physical type of practices seen during the training camp phase in the past with pads.

Whatever both sides decide upon, they have three weeks to put a plan in place as the first set of training camps could begin on July 25. If they can’t decide on a plan, then an arbitrator may have to get involved but ultimately fans will have to wait and see if it gets to that point.

NFLPA discussing possible offseason plan with no preseason games

The NFL wants to have two preseason games per team but the NFLPA hasn’t agreed to that plan.

The NFL wants to trim preseason from four games to two games this summer but the NFLPA hasn’t agreed to that plan. The players’ union doesn’t want to play any preseason games because of the risk of COVID-19 and the limited amount of time players will have to great fit in time for the regular season.

According to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the NFLPA has discussed the possibility of a training camp schedule that looks like this:

3 days: medical/equipment
21 days: strength & conditioning
10 days: unpadded practice
14 days: practice (10 max/8 padded)

After that, teams would go straight into the regular season.

Broncos kicker Brandon McManus, the team’s union rep, seems to be on board with the NFLPA’s suggestion of no preseason games. McManus tweeted Wednesday that fans should be ready for one or zero preseason games.

The NFL seems unlikely to agree to the NFLPA’s plan. As of now, the league is still planning to have each team play one preseason game at home and one preseason game on the road in August before starting the regular season in September.

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