NFL Notes: 2020 Season, Practice Squad, Training Camp

July 6, 2020

According to Pro Football Talk, the NFLPA has requested to remove 11-on-11 practice drills during the 2020 season because of the pandemic. The goal would be to limit exposure to the virus outside of games.
The NFLPA has also proposed limiting practice and group activities starting on Thursday to ensure accurate testing before travel and games.
With the preseason being scaled back and potentially even canceled, the NFL wants to allow teams to hold up to two fan events in their stadiums during training camp. (Pro Football Talk)
The NFLPA would want the number of fans to be restricted, zero interaction between fans and players, distance between fans and players, temperature checks before entering the stadium and addressing air exchange issues for domed stadiums.
Ideally, the NFL would prefer for each team to have a home and away preseason game to test out protocols ahead of the regular season. It would also generate some revenue and allow coaches a better look at their team. (Albert Breer)
The NFLPA’s position is that the risk of exposing players is too great for preseason games that don’t count.
Breer adds the NFL is working to determine what level of outbreak will necessitate a team forfeiting a game, whether it’s a percentage of the total roster or one position group getting wiped out.

Packers president Mark Murphy says via the team website the NFL is considering further changing the practice squad rules for the 2020 season.
The rule changes would be further increasing the size of the practice squads from 12 players to 16 and changing the eligibility rules to allow teams to sign veteran players to the practice squad.

According to Pro Football Talk, the NFLPA has requested no in-person meetings at the team facility during training camp, with all position and team meetings moving online instead.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano says the NFLPA told team player reps that players who were found to have engaged in “reckless” behavior leading to exposure to the virus could be fined for conduct detrimental to the team, including eating out at restaurants or taking a rideshare.
The NFL is also working on designs for face shields during practice or at the team facility, though players are pushing back against those for breathing and visibility concerns.
The NFLPA is considering testing every other day right now but player reps on the call pushed for daily testing.