What we know about NFL training camps
Here’s a look at what we know and what we don’t as the NFL opens its camps this week and attempts to weave in and out of restrictions and concerns created by the COVID-19 pandemic and play games.
Health and safety
Players reporting for camp face a five-day period that will determine who is cleared to progress to the second phase, which includes entrance into their team’s training facility. All participants must produce two negative PCR tests for COVID-19 results over the first four days in a schedule that looks as follows: test on Day 1, quarantine at home on Days 2 and 3, and a second test on Day 4.
On Day 5, if both tests were negative, the player will begin daily testing and can enter the facility. Daily testing will continue for two weeks and would then move to every other day if the positive rate is below 5%.
The second phase that begins on Day 5 includes physicals and equipment fittings.
If an asymptomatic player tests positive, he must leave camp and is not allowed to return to the facility for 10 days. If the player continues to be asymptomatic, he can return to camp following two negative tests within a five-day period.
Football
When it comes to football activities, it’s as if the league has morphed the non-contact OTAs (organized team activities) with traditional camp practices that feature pads and limited contact. A twoweek acclimation period will feature eight days of strength and conditioning, and the first padded practice of training camp can’t happen before Aug.
17 following five days of sessions with just helmets.
There is a maximum of 14 padded practices before the start of the regular season.
Rosters and free agency
Teams are facing the mandate to go from 90 to 80 players on their roster. Teams that wait to reduce to 80 must use splitsquad procedures, with one group mainly consisting of rookies, first-year players and any quarterbacks or injured players assigned to that group. The second group will consist of all veteran players who report immediately, and at no time can the groups merge with the roster above 80.
A team that chooses the split-squad approach can reduce to 80 at any time before Aug. 16 and then merge into one unit.
From a free agency perspective, tryouts are not permitted at this time. If a team wants to bring in a free agent, a player can visit and get a physical with the club’s physician, but that is it.