NFL Notes: 2020 Season, Colin Kaepernick, Josh Gordon

2020 Season

• When asked about the league using modified facemasks for players, NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills and NFLPA officials said “work continues to be done in that area,” per NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo.
• As for NFL coach’s gripes about current Coronavirus protocols, Sills said they are finding creative solutions with distancing measures: “It won’t feel normal because it won’t be normal,” via Garafolo.
• Sills said it is “very likely” the NFL will have a different testing strategy for players throughout the 2020 season as the science improves. (Tom Pelissero)
• Pelissero notes that the league’s current plan is to also test “everyone who will be exposed to players and coaches” prior to game days, including officials or other individuals in contact with them. 
• Sills said the NFL will rely on contact tracing in regards to how they handle players who become infected with the Coronavirus: “We do not feel it’s practical or appropriate to construct a bubble. Anyone who tests positive will be isolated until medically appropriate to return,” per Pelissero. 
• As for possible alteration to the league’s schedule, Sills said they NFL and player’s union are working with a “special task force” to determine their plan:“[They] are working to figure out how to apply the principals of the recommendations (from a special task force) as it relates to the calendar and schedule,” via NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
• Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports some teams are considering taking as few as 75-80 players instead of the maximum 90-person roster to training camp to better comply with potential NFL social distancing guidelines. 

Colin Kaepernick

• Ian Rapoport, citing several different NFL coaches he’s spoken to, reports there is “far, far more interest” in Colin Kaepernick right now than any time within that last 3-4 years. 
• Although Rapoport is unsure whether Kaepernick will ultimately be signed, he reiterated that interest in him as a backup quarterback is “very real.” 

Josh Gordon

The latest twist in a rollercoaster career for WR Josh Gordon came when he was suspended again indefinitely last year following a lapse and violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. But as Gordon again seeks reinstatement to the NFL, his lawyer revealed some of the mitigating circumstances around Gordon’s latest suspension. 

“Josh had a lapse because of his brother’s death,” Gordon’s lawyer Adam Kenner told NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero. “But since that time, he has realized how important it is for him to take the right steps, do what’s proper and understand how to manage these issues. He’s installed the right team around him to make sure he’s on the right path. He understands he’s been given every chance. He looks forward to making the most of this.”