League, players still working out the final details
While the games themselves differ, sports leagues overlap in many ways: rich traditions, deep-fried stadium snacks around the concourse — and the inevitable debate over how precisely to proceed during a global pandemic.
The latest item is of course new, but understandably important. As leagues and players grapple with the unprecedented nature of the coronavirus, there are tangible decisions to be made. And as training camp inches closer, those discussions are in full swing in the NFL.
NFL clubs met Friday over video conference for the latest update on preparations for the 2020 season. On Saturday, clubs received an email confirming reporting dates for training camp, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Outside of the Chiefs and Texans, rookies can report as early as Tuesday, with all other players by July 28.
“We will continue to implement the health and safety protocols developed jointly with the NFLPA, and based on the advice of leading medical experts, including review by the CDC,” the league said in a statement Friday.
“We will address additional issues in a cooperative way. All decisions will be made in an effort to put us in position to play a full regular season and postseason culminating with the Super Bowl which is the shared goal of the clubs and the players.”
Players are concerned about their own health, perhaps to varying degrees, but also about a possible long-term ramifications if a complete 2020 season is not played.
Health concerns in, out of locker room
There are fears about bringing the virus home, especially to family members who may be at higher risk. Cardinals left tackle D.J. Humphries understands that players are coming from different mindsets, as far as who they see outside of football, and how those people can then be affected.
“When you talk to people, everyone has a different stance. Some guys are more cautious,” Humphries said on a Zoom press conference in June. “My wife is a diabetic, so I have to be very cautious, because she is high-risk. So I have to take things into account like that. Some guys live with their elderly mother, so they have to take those things into account.”
Other players who joined new teams during the offseason are having their families wait to move.
And in sports, health concerns are not independent of results. If a star player is sick, that can swing a game.
As in other leagues, the players’ union and the owners have gone back and forth. There are still shared goals of getting back to playing and doing so safely, but the exact methods of meeting those is where the friction lies.
On Thursday, J.J. Watt of the Texans tweeted out a list of “what we know and don’t know,” which both started and ended with “We want to play.” Earlier in the week, 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman tweeted that players have been “blunt and honest” with management, and that they “will not compromise our (players’) health in these discussions.”
Players’ futures
While encouraging fans to follow guidelines from the CDC, running back Kenyan Drake noted that he is looking forward to getting on the field for competitive reasons.
“I’m not too concerned about signing an extension currently,” Drake tweeted Wednesday. “That’ll come in due time. Right now I’m focused on everyday getting in the best shape of my life to help this team play winning football. Everything else will run its course. Stay safe, wash your hands, wear a mask.”
The signing period for transition tag players like Drake runs from March 18 until July 22, and following that, teams have exclusive negotiating rights with transition-tagged players until the Tuesday following Week 10 of the season.
The Cardinals have spoken highly of Drake, and he was productive in a short season last year, his first with the team. This year could be pivotal for him, and with David Johnson off to Houston, Drake’s role in the offense is cemented. He cares about playing well because he cares about what it means for Arizona.
But across the league, for players in critical years of their contracts, what happens if a season if cut short? Or how can an upended offseason affect rookies trying to compete for starting roles? How will the league handle the salary cap for next year, given that revenue will decline considerably? Players and coaches like to say that every rep counts. 2020 has already seen cuts in reps from the summer alone.
These are not questions and discussions that outweigh larger issues of a global crisis. And these are not all questions that can necessarily be solved tidily ahead of teams reporting.
But in a league that looks for any competitive edge, and in a league that is still making plans to start on time, the clock is running.