The NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to cancel preseason games this summer.
What We Know:
- On Monday, the NFL made an offer to the players association to eliminate preseason games for this year as they try to come to an agreement on how an NFL season should look during the coronavirus pandemic, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The players association confirmed that both sides have agreed to not play preseason games. The NFL initially was hoping for teams to play two preseason games instead of the usual four. Players have serious concerns about their health and are pushing to scrap the preseason altogether.
- The players association informed players of the change during a conference call Tuesday evening. The players association’s stance from the beginning has been to play no preseason games and extend training camp, and that is exactly what might happen. The NFL was reluctant to meet the union’s demands until now.
- The last 24-48 hours have seen a lot of developments in the NFL’s plans to start the season. The players association informed players that team rosters will be downsized from 90 players to 80. The union is still pushing for a longer ramp-up period during training camp, allowing for players to acclimate to the new conditions. An agreement is still in the works regarding players opting out voluntarily or for medical reasons.
- NFL players were vocal about their concerns on Sunday by tweeting their demands and health concerns. In what looked like a coordinated effort, players urged the NFL to listen to experts and focus on safety for the new season, using the hashtag #WeWantToPlay. It looks like their voices were heard because on Monday the league announced there would be daily coronavirus testing for at least the first two weeks of training camp.
Sense a trend…. pic.twitter.com/KJQqo7nKSI
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 19, 2020
NFL first year players were scheduled to report to their team’s camps starting Tuesday.
