NFL shortens preseason to just two weeks as league continues to plot its 2020 strategy

[MilleniumFalcon]

The NFL has shortened its 2020 preseason to two games, a source said, part of a larger acclimatization plan for players after an unprecedented virtual offseason program during the coronavirus pandemic.

In essence, the league canceled Weeks 1 and 4 of its original preseason schedule. It had previously canceled its Aug. 8 Hall of Fame game. Most players will still report to training camp on July 28, but the first preseason games won't be played until Aug. 20-24. The second week of preseason games is scheduled for Aug. 27-31. Some re-shuffling of the original preseason schedule for Weeks 2 and 3 are underway, as each team will play one home game and one on the road.

Teams that travel will depart on the day before games. The primary driver for restructuring the preseason was a consensus between the NFL and the NFL Players Association that players will need more time than normal to get in football shape this summer.

No teams were able to practice on the field during the offseason, and many gyms and other conditioning settings have been closed. The NFL's standard preseason has been four games since it was shortened from six games in 1978. It is expected to be cut further when owners activate a provision in the collective bargaining agreement to extend the regular season to 17 games, which they can do as early as 2021.

When that happens, the preseason would shrink to no more than three games for each team. Of more immediate concern, however, is the health of players during training camp in 2020.

The NFL and the NFLPA continue to discuss protocols for reopening of team facilities, testing programs and other matters related to playing amid a pandemic. Sources close to the discussions say there is no hard deadline for a finalizing of protocols, but that if training camps are to start on time (July 28 for all but two teams), there's a sense on both sides that an agreement needs to be reached by the end of next week.

One reason for this is that there's a chance the league will ask players and team personnel to quarantine at home for two weeks before leaving for camp. This doesn't even account for newly imposed rules in states like New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts that ask people coming from states where coronavirus cases are spiking to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival.

The NFL/NFLPA committee will soon issue a set of guidelines that spells out an acclimatization schedule for the 23 days of training camp before the first preseason game.

Information from ESPN's Dan Graziano was used in this report.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29395143/nfl-shortens-preseason-just-two-weeks-league-continues-plot-2020-strategy

[408Falcon]

This **** aint positive  I mean it is because we don't have as many preseason games, but I will be ****ed if Matt and Julio get another year older without taking a snap.  

[HouseofEuphoria]

I doubt they play any pre-season games.

Why? Pointless.

Just start the season. Learn on the go.

[Malachore]

Should always be this. 

[MAD597]

Its not going to happen. Things are getting worse each week. No way 70k fans will be in any stadiums this year. Players are already testing positive.

The US screwed up opening to early and now the rest of this year is shot.

[stizz]

1 hour ago, MAD597 said:

Its not going to happen. Things are getting worse each week. No way 70k fans will be in any stadiums this year. Players are already testing positive.

The US screwed up opening to early and now the rest of this year is shot.

The NFL has lead the way in this. They were told not to do Free Agency or the draft because it would be insensitive and they ended up getting rave reviews for the way it has been handled. The draft also raised 100M for COVID-19 awareness.

One thing people forget is that the NFL is the king sport in this country and it ain't even close. Their draft obliterates numbers of NBA playoff games. That means a lot of sponsors and money are tied into this machine. The NFL has already said they plan on players testing positive and have already started talks of waivers for fans that plan to attend. I think the final step will be maybe a 50 percent capacity, mandatory temp checks, and quadroning off certain sections to decrease the chance of fans interaction with another group of fans.

It isn't as black and white as season or no season or fans or no fans since there can be workarounds to be effective. I live in one of the current hot spots and while the amount of cases has gone up, the amount of serious hospitalizations from it has gone down.

There will absolutely be a season. Wayyyyyyyyy too much money tied into this game.

[JayOzOne]

So, who's willing to sign a waiver? Most fans should be able to socially distance in the first quarter of Falcons games but y'all better hold your breath after that.

[NWFALCON]

Rough off season to be an UDFA. 

[JayOzOne]

14 minutes ago, NWFALCON said:

Rough off season to be an UDFA. 

Yeah, it's going to take some stellar practice habits and performance (and corresponding college film) to latch on this year. Coaches are sure to go with the scrub that they know over the potential freak that they don't have pro game tape on. Good timing with the increased practice squads though.

[Mid-Nite-Toker]

No real incentive for the owners to have a longer preseason.  Probably won't be any fans in attendance.

First 4 weeks of regular season play, will probably be some ugly football.

[Tribal Chief]

3 hours ago, JayOzOne said:

So, who's willing to sign a waiver? Most fans should be able to socially distance in the first quarter of Falcons games but y'all better hold your breath after that.

I’ll pass. I have asthma. There’s no way I would be willing to be stuck inside with thousands of people not having a clue if they’re carrying or not. 
 

shortening is smart. Season may very well happen in full.  Just need to players to stay isolated the next 6-7 months. We know they ALL can’t do that. (Looking at you Dallas). It’s only going to take one asymptomatic player to cause a shut down. Personally I don’t want to watch my team play if key players are forced to miss games because of the virus. It won’t sit right. It’s only gonna take coming down to clinching a playoff spot and 4 key contributors are forced to miss 2+ weeks. That’s gonna really hurt

[AndySG]

Dolphins preseason game is the annual “oh my god we have a huge hole on our offensive line” prompt so we will miss that. Pretty sure it was the main reason we signed Shelby

[1989Fan]

NLFPA hasn’t agreed and signed off on this yet, so nothing is official.

[Vandy]

11 hours ago, stizz said:

The NFL has lead the way in this. They were told not to do Free Agency or the draft because it would be insensitive and they ended up getting rave reviews for the way it has been handled. The draft also raised 100M for COVID-19 awareness.

One thing people forget is that the NFL is the king sport in this country and it ain't even close. Their draft obliterates numbers of NBA playoff games. That means a lot of sponsors and money are tied into this machine. The NFL has already said they plan on players testing positive and have already started talks of waivers for fans that plan to attend. I think the final step will be maybe a 50 percent capacity, mandatory temp checks, and quadroning off certain sections to decrease the chance of fans interaction with another group of fans.

It isn't as black and white as season or no season or fans or no fans since there can be workarounds to be effective. I live in one of the current hot spots and while the amount of cases has gone up, the amount of serious hospitalizations from it has gone down.

There will absolutely be a season. Wayyyyyyyyy too much money tied into this game.

Truth. Despite all the media (and TAFT) navel-gazing and whining, the NFL will have a season. May not be a full 16 game season, but there will be a season. The virus will stay with us ....until it’s not. But no matter what, people/businesses/and sports are adapting. 

[MAD597]

We are not having a season with fans in the stands that is for sure, we had a chance to squash this with the first lock down but failed cause fragile babies needed to get haircuts and manicures and national leadership blew it over as no big deal and pressured everyone to open to soon.

In many states now we are seeing record numbers, no way this gets cleared up by Sept-Oct to the point where they play games. Also a number of players are starting to test positive, those players won't be playing this year.

Any chance we had at some type of normal Fall season for sports and activities flew out the windows when so many states said screw it and opened up everything WAY to soon.

[stizz]

20 minutes ago, MAD597 said:

We are not having a season with fans in the stands that is for sure, we had a chance to squash this with the first lock down but failed cause fragile babies needed to get haircuts and manicures and national leadership blew it over as no big deal and pressured everyone to open to soon.

In many states now we are seeing record numbers, no way this gets cleared up by Sept-Oct to the point where they play games. Also a number of players are starting to test positive, those players won't be playing this year.

Any chance we had at some type of normal Fall season for sports and activities flew out the windows when so many states said screw it and opened up everything WAY to soon.

Do you know how you make a lot of money and keep it? Have smart people working for you.

The NFL was ahead of this thing in the spring and they're ahead of it now with the waiver idea and we're still months away. There will be more precautions in place. Not recommending someone over 65 attending, temp checks, masks at the gate and blocking off areas of the stadium are just a few ideas.

[MAD597]

2 minutes ago, stizz said:

Do you know how you make a lot of money and keep it? Have smart people working for you.

The NFL was ahead of this thing in the spring and they're ahead of it now with the waiver idea and we're still months away. There will be more precautions in place. Not recommending someone over 65 attending, temp checks, masks at the gate and blocking off areas of the stadium are just a few ideas.

Fans are not going to be in the stands this fall/season for any sports leagues in the USA, that chance blew bye with the last surges that have more than outdone the numbers when we had our first lockdown in March. We blew it cause people are to impatient and to ignorant to do that right thing.

Players in MLB and the NBA are already opting out of this season and players in larger numbers are testing positive which means they aren't playing this year and may have life long ailments from it. 

So lets look at how this season may work out if they choose to go forward, No fans in the stadiums, a large percentage of players opting out not wanting to risk their lives, another percentage of players actually testing positive for Covid and going through the process of recovery.

It's all going to fall apart before it gets off the ground for this season.

[stizz]

3 minutes ago, MAD597 said:

Fans are not going to be in the stands this fall/season for any sports leagues in the USA, that chance blew bye with the last surges that have more than outdone the numbers when we had our first lockdown in March. We blew it cause people are to impatient and to ignorant to do that right thing.

Players in MLB and the NBA are already opting out of this season and players in larger numbers are testing positive which means they aren't playing this year and may have life long ailments from it. 

So lets look at how this season may work out if they choose to go forward, No fans in the stadiums, a large percentage of players opting out not wanting to risk their lives, another percentage of players actually testing positive for Covid and going through the process of recovery.

It's all going to fall apart before it gets off the ground for this season.

You're just giving views of a skeptic without actual facts. No major players in any sport have opted out. If they did in the NBA it's because they have no chance at a title.

Look up the facts and come back. Having COVID isn't the boogey man you're making it to be. I don't want to be insensitive to those who have died from it, but these are elite athletes we're talking here. .01 percenters. And you're talking about lifelong ailments. NONE of the NFL players who have had it have been sick. They were all healthy.

The only issue with these guys is risking it passing to family members who may have underlying conditions. If that's the case, they can opt out.

I'm telling you as someone in media in one of the hot spots. Don't be a chicken little. 

[Vandy]

5 hours ago, stizz said:

You're just giving views of a skeptic without actual facts. No major players in any sport have opted out. If they did in the NBA it's because they have no chance at a title.

Look up the facts and come back. Having COVID isn't the boogey man you're making it to be. I don't want to be insensitive to those who have died from it, but these are elite athletes we're talking here. .01 percenters. And you're talking about lifelong ailments. NONE of the NFL players who have had it have been sick. They were all healthy.

The only issue with these guys is risking it passing to family members who may have underlying conditions. If that's the case, they can opt out.

I'm telling you as someone in media in one of the hot spots. Don't be a chicken little. 

It was more a political statement than factual. As most posts about Covid usually are. Which is incredibly shallow, as well as stupid.

[MAD597]

The facts are cases across the country are INCREASING at a dramatic rate now not decreasing like they are in most other countries, we have not even hit a plateau we are not close to a vaccine. The idea that in a mere 4-8 weeks the country will be ready for MLB, NFL and NBA to start up operations again is laughable. If anything we are likely to need another full lockdown soon

[Vandy]

1 hour ago, MAD597 said:

The facts are cases across the country are INCREASING at a dramatic rate now not decreasing like they are in most other countries, we have not even hit a plateau we are not close to a vaccine. The idea that in a mere 4-8 weeks the country will be ready for MLB, NFL and NBA to start up operations again is laughable. If anything we are likely to need another full lockdown soon

And the vast majority of whom have shown little or no symptoms.

[falcons007]

38 minutes ago, MAD597 said:

The facts are cases across the country are INCREASING at a dramatic rate now not decreasing like they are in most other countries, we have not even hit a plateau we are not close to a vaccine. The idea that in a mere 4-8 weeks the country will be ready for MLB, NFL and NBA to start up operations again is laughable. If anything we are likely to need another full lockdown soon

 

28 minutes ago, Vandy said:

And the vast majority of whom have little or no symptoms.

The fact is no one knows the facts about this whole Covid thing. Dr Doom was predicting 2 Million or more dead. Outside of Nursing homes Fatality rate has been very very low. 

[stizz]

50 minutes ago, Vandy said:

It was more a political statement than factual. As most posts about Covid usually are.

It would be so easy to get political back with him, but the COVID argument is tough to have with someone because you don't want to be insensitive to those who have died from it.

[falcons007]

Just now, stizz said:

It would be so easy to get political back with him, but the COVID argument is tough to have with someone because you don't want to be insensitive to those who have died from it.

I know couple of people who died from Covid. It was bad, my friend couldn’t even visit her dad with out risking infecting the whole family. Now that there is enough data on age, patient predicting conditions, we have more visibility. 

[Tribal Chief]

19 minutes ago, falcons007 said:

 

The fact is no one knows the facts about this whole Covid thing. Dr Doom was predicting 2 Million or more dead. Outside of Nursing homes Fatality rate has been very very low. 

Why should deaths be the only thing that matters? What about the people that get extremely sick? Even if a player shows no symptoms at all, a positive test is going to result in a 2 week minimum stay at home quarantine. they will not be allowed back with the team until they receive a negative result.
 

I know a few people that didn’t test positive until after a month and they showed no symptoms the entire time. I know some of you care more about one thing over the other but in this unique situation everything should matter. Not only fatality rates. I would have thought that more people here would have empathy for every situation involved with this virus. I guess I’m the only one or in a very small group that cares about everyone’s health, sports or not.