COVID-19 News & Rumors

Giants May Move Training Camp

May 12th, 2020 at 7:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Add the Giants to the list of teams that may move their training camp site. Instead of New Jersey – one of the nation’s most hard-hit areas – head coach Joe Judge says the Giants could hold training camp at a different facility in another state (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan).

Ideally, Judge says the Giants would keep things as-is, but they’re exploring all of their options and working on multiple plans. They’re far from alone in that: the Cowboys, 49ers, Chargers, and Rams are all set to run their practices in California, and they may have to pivot to another part of the country after Los Angeles County extended its sheltering orders for another three months.

“Our opps [operations] department is doing a great job right now mapping out a lot of different scenarios in terms of if, for some reason, we have to relocate,” Judge said. “They’re making connections around the area and around the country as to whatever we may need to do. We’re waiting on directions from the league in terms of making decisions on that,” Judge said (via Newsday).

Judge knew he’d be in for a completely new experience when he signed on to be the Giants’ head coach this year, but he couldn’t have anticipated a situation like this. As he eases into his new role, he’ll have help from offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who spent nearly ten years running his own practices as the Cowboys’ head coach.

In other Giants news, Judge says the team is thinking about re-signing edge rusher Markus Golden. Previously, a reunion was viewed as unlikely at best.

Arizona Gov.: Sports Can Resume On Saturday May 16

May 12th, 2020 at 7:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Major sports leagues will be permitted to resume play in Arizona, effective this Saturday, Governor Doug Ducey announced (Twitter link via Anne Ryman of the Arizona Republic). In the short-term, this may bode well for baseball in 2020. If all goes well in Arizona, the NFL could lean heavily on the state as it gears up for its own 2020 season.

“We have had discussions with leaders of some of these leagues and they all know they are welcome to operate, play and perform in the state of Arizona,” Ducey declared (via 98.7FM).

Earlier today, we learned that several NFL teams are exploring out-of-state options for training camp. The Rams, Chargers, 49ers, and Cowboys all have their camps in California; they’re probably all mulling new plans after Los Angeles County announced that stay-at-home orders will extend for at least another three months.

As our own Sam Robinson noted earlier today, clubs have more players on hand than ever during training camp. With 90-man rosters to go along with dozens of coaches, execs, and other personnel, teams in hotspot states may have a tough time moving ahead as planned in August. Meanwhile, “Arizona has hospital capacity, and Arizona is prepared” to deal with the impact of a gradual re-opening, Ducey says (Twitter link).

Latest On COVID-19’s Financial Impact On NFL

May 12th, 2020 at 3:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The COVID-19 pandemic radically altered the NFL draft and its offseason, and questions about the viability of the training camp and the regular season are beginning to surface. Major financial fallout would grip the league in the event its regular season is altered and/or features no fans.

If the 2020 regular season occurs entirely without fans in stadiums, the NFL will stand to lose approximately $2.3 billion, Seth Wickersham of ESPN.com notes. This would put not just the 2021 salary cap at risk of plummeting, it could set the NFL on course for cap reductions over a multiyear span.

For the time being, the NFL and team execs agreed to raise each team’s debt limit from $350MM to $500MM, Wickersham reports. The NFL most recently raised franchises’ debt limit just two years ago, when the figure jumped from $250MM to $350MM. Owners are set to vote on the new debt limit raise May 19.

Just after the pandemic hit, the NFL was still prepared to negotiate new TV deals. Armed with a new CBA that included two extra playoff games per season and an 18-week regular season beginning as soon as 2021, the league was expected to secure windfall agreements from networks. A cap spike that would push the NFL’s salary ceiling past $260MM by 2023 was in play. Now, the prospect of the cap falling from this year’s $198MM place is firmly in play. This would play a significant role in teams’ contract situations.

Increased advertising serves way to make up for big losses. Various staffers agree the league must open up new ad avenues, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes. Teams are currently not allowed to place ads within 40 feet of each field’s surface; the goal posts reach 35 feet from ground level. But with the coronavirus creating unprecedented uncertainty for the NFL, it will likely explore other ways to generate revenue — in the event fans cannot attend games.

Several Teams Exploring Out-Of-State Training Camps

May 12th, 2020 at 2:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Only two teams left their home state for training camp last year. That number may increase dramatically in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted several teams to discuss moving their camp sites out of state, Albert Breer of SI.com reports.

Many teams’ explorations about leaving their home states for camp have progressed, per Breer. A number of states’ coronavirus-induced restrictions preventing necessary conditions to hold a training camp are at the root of this, with teams stationed in the northeast and on the West Coast likely being the ones preparing contingency plans.

On Tuesday, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said (via Colleen Shalby of the Los Angeles Times) the county’s stay-at-home orders were certain to extend for another three months. While the Rams and Chargers’ facilities respectively reside in Ventura and Orange County, having adjacent L.A. County set to increase its lockdown does not paint a promising picture the neighboring counties will be open fully in time for camps. The Rams and Bolts’ under-construction stadium (SoFi Stadium), however, is located in L.A. County.

The Rams, Chargers, 49ers and Cowboys hold camp in California, with the latter’s camp site being in Oxnard (Ventura County). The Chargers’ Costa Mesa facility is located in Orange County. States like New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington could also be classified as locales that may make holding a camp untenable by late July, Breer adds. Altogether, that would force more than a fourth of the league to consider holding camp in another state.

Teams carry 90-man rosters in training camp. Couple those with the dozens of coaches per franchise, along with dozens of additional personnel per squad, and many teams may well run into trouble if they attempt to hold training camp in their respective home states come July. All teams are currently going through virtual offseasons, but some play in states with looser restrictions.

As of now, the NFL prevents any team from gathering at its facility until all 50 states’ lockdown measures have ceased. But the league, in announcing a potential change to this policy last week, may be preparing to allow teams to gather at their respective headquarters fairly soon. This would leave several teams — those in states with stricter guidelines — in limbo. This could be where training camp relocations come in.

CFL Likely To Cancel 2020 Season

May 11th, 2020 at 10:58am CST by Zachary Links

As of this writing, the NFL is planning to forge ahead with its 2020 season, as scheduled. North of the border, in the CFL, it’s not quite as likely.

“Our best-case scenario for this year is a drastically truncated season,” commissioner Randy Ambrosie told Canada’s House of Commons (via The Associated Press). “And our most likely scenario is no season at all…Ours is a big brand but not a wealthy business. Unlike large U.S.-based leagues, our biggest source of revenue is not TV — it’s ticket sales.”

Ambrosie explained that the government’s measures to protect the public against COVID 19 “have made it impossible” for the CFL to operate. The NFL and professional sports leagues all across North America are faced with similar obstacles, though they’re better equipped to handle them from a financial standpoint. In 2019, Ambrosie says the CFL lost $20MM. The NFL, meanwhile, took in roughly $16 billion in revenue with profits skyrocketing past their operating costs. Much of that money, as Ambrosie said, comes from lucrative TV deals.

With that in mind, the CFL isn’t necessarily a canary in the coal mine for the NFL. Dr. Anthony Fauci says the NFL has to test players early and often in order to play games, but that’s a feasible expense for Roger Goodell & Co., thanks to the TV money.

Dr. Fauci: COVID-19 Will “Make Decision” For NFL

May 11th, 2020 at 8:36am CST by Zachary Links

If the NFL goes ahead with its 2020 season, they’ll have to take drastic measures to keep players safe. In an interview with Peter King of NBC Sports, Dr. Anthony Fauci gave his thoughts on how the league might approach the coming campaign in the social distancing era.

“If you really want to be in a situation where you want to be absolutely certain, you’d test all the players before the game. And you say, Those who are infected: Sorry, you’re sidelined,” Fauci said. “Those who are free: Get in there and play.”

And, for absolute certainty, the NFL would have to test hundreds of athletes daily – possibly multiple times per day. Even with social distancing measures and limited practices, players would likely be in close proximity to each other throughout the week.

“If I test today, and I’m negative, you don’t know if I got exposed tomorrow,” Fauci said. “There’s no guarantee that you’re going to get exposed and be positive the next day. To give you an example, you’re probably reading in the newspapers that there’s an infection in the White House. I was exposed to that person. So I immediately got tested. I am negative. So, I’m negative yesterday. I don’t know if I’m going to be negative Monday. Understand? It’s almost an impossible situation.”

Then, there’s the obvious risk of in-game transmission. The virus isn’t known to transmit via sweat, Fauci said, but breathing means viral shedding, and heavy breathing in close quarters has the potential to be dangerous.

“To be 100 percent sure, you’ve got to test every day,” Fauci said. “But that’s not practical and that’s never going to happen. But you can diminish dramatically by testing everybody Saturday night, Sunday morning, and say OK, only negative players play.”

At the same time, Fauci stressed that he cannot predict the fate of the 2020 NFL season. “The virus will make the decision for us,” the infectious disease expert said, stressing that he is sharing his educated opinion, rather than a surefire forecast. In my uneducated opinion, I believe that the potential safety measures will be balanced with public relations concerns. If testing is not widely available by September, the NFL will have a hard time justifying tens of thousands of tests for athletes and key personnel. And, without rapid and constant testing, football won’t be feasible.

AFC South Notes: Texans, Titans, Pittman

May 10th, 2020 at 2:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Patrick Mahomes is expected to become the NFL’s highest-paid player — perhaps by a significant margin — at some point between now and the start of the 2021 season. The Chiefs’ eventual negotiations may change because of the player picked two spots after him in the 2017 draft. The Texans have begun talks with Deshaun Watson, and Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle threw out a monster price range for the franchise’s cornerstone player. A Watson extension could range from $40-$42MM per year, Wilson writes. While it is not certain where Houston stands in talks with its fourth-year quarterback, Laremy Tunsil was able to move the tackle market from $18MM per year to $22MM AAV. Watson surpassing $40MM annually would be a bigger jump for QB salaries.

Watson, 24, seems a lock to surpass Russell Wilson‘s $35MM-per-year value. But with the quarterback market moving north gradually in this era — albeit with greater acceleration in the past two-plus years — Watson’s extension raising the NFL salary ceiling to this degree would represent a staggering markup that would affect other teams’ negotiations. Such a player-friendly agreement would also come at an uncertain time. With it not certain fans will be in stadiums, the 2021 salary cap could go down instead of making the once-expected $10MM-plus climb.

Shifting first to some staff updates, here is the latest from the AFC South:

Titans team president Steve Underwood is stepping down, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. After 40 years with the organization, which included the move from Houston in the mid-’90s, he’ll remain on board as a special advisor to owner Amy Adams Strunk. Underwood began his tenure as a legal counsel to Houston Oilers founder Bud Adams and played a key role in the franchise’s relocation to Nashville. Underwood retired previously, stepping away from the team in 2011, but returned in 2015.
Once NFL teams return to their respective facilities, the atmosphere will be different because of COVID-19. On that note, the Texans are hiring a hygiene coordinator. It is not certain who will fill this newly created position, but Wilson notes he or she will be in charge with overseeing the conditions of the team’s practice facility and play a key role in coordinating the cleanliness of NRG Stadium.
The Colts had a specific type of wide receiver in mind when they selected Michael Pittman Jr. out of USC with the 34th overall pick, and Frank Reich targeted the USC wideout well in advance of the draft. “We wanted a big body, a guy who is physically tough,” Reich said in a Colts.com video. “A big body who would do the dirty work and block, make contested catches, get 50-50 balls. (Pittman) showed that on tape. From the first time I watched him, I loved him.” Pittman is 6-foot-4 and 223 pounds. He is expected to start opposite the 5-10 T.Y. Hilton. Reich compared Pittman to former Philip Rivers Chargers target Vincent Jackson, who was 6-5.

NFL Won’t Change Supplemental Draft

May 7th, 2020 at 10:35am CST by Zachary Links

With the upcoming NCAA football season in limbo, some have wondered whether the summer’s supplemental draft could see a massive influx of players, including the top prospects ticketed for the 2021 NFL Draft. That won’t be the case, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).

The league won’t alter the rules to accommodate players who are facing the prospect of a shortened or cancelled season. Instead, the usual rules will apply. Players who were barred from entering the regular draft but are no longer able to continue their collegiate can enter, but it’ll have to be for the usual reasons – academic issues, suspensions, and similar snags.

The 2019 NFL Supplemental Draft finished with Washington State’s Jalen Thompson as the only player selected. The Cardinals used a fifth-round supplemental pick on the wide receiver and, per the supplemental draft’s rules, they forfeited the equivalent pick in the 2020 NFL Draft as a result. In the past, the NFL Supplemental’s Draft has brought some notable talents into the league, including Terrelle Pryor and Josh Gordon. This year’s draft may include similar talents, but you won’t see stars like Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, or Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II up for grabs this summer.

NFL Lays Out Plan For Reopening Facilities

May 6th, 2020 at 7:14pm CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday night, the NFL laid out its potential plan for reopening facilities in a memo to teams, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. With permission from state government authorities, the league hopes to resume business as usual – or something close to it – soon.

The memo also details protocols including: temperature screening, the establishment of an infection response team for each club, and social distancing. At the same time, Roger Goodell has discouraged team officials from discussing hypothetical timelines.

“It is impossible to project what the next few months will bring,” Goodell wrote. “Uninformed commentary that speculates on how individual clubs or the league will address a range of hypothetical contingencies serves to constructive purpose and instead confuses our fans and business partners, complicates the operations of other clubs, and distracts from the careful planning that is needed right now.”

Then, Goodell’s memo gets into greater detail for a “safe and phased reopening.” Phase 1 would allow for up to 50% of a team’s non-player employees to occupy the facility on any given day, up to a maximum of 75. No players would be permitted in the building, unless resuming a course of rehabilitation that was already underway when facilities were first closed. That phase could begin as soon as Friday, May 15th. After that, the league will weigh its options for Phase 2, though teams are encouraged to refine their own policies in accordance with local law and fluctuating conditions.

Extra Points: Season, Super Bowl, Meetings

May 5th, 2020 at 8:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Late last month, a potential NFL contingency plan involving a mid-October start date surfaced. The league may be willing to further delay its 2020 season, if it means fans can attend games. Two teams estimated a fan-less season would cost each team approximately $100MM, and Albert Breer of SI.com adds that one NFC exec said he does not imagine much debate will ensue if the league is faced with a choice of starting the season on time without fans or moving Week 1 to November with fans if it meant fans could attend. A $100MM per-team loss would mean a roughly $48MM reduction to the 2021 salary cap, which would cause titanic fallout league-wide.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the cap was expected to rise by more than $10MM from 2020-21 and produce greater per-year spikes than the 2011 CBA brought. While Breer estimates the league would make an effort to smooth out a cap decrease so it would gradually decline over multiple years rather than plunge off a cliff in 2021, a fan-less season would have tremendous consequences.

Here is the latest from around the league:

A delayed season would mean Super Bowl LV being pushed back. Super Bowl sites, however, are required to free up more dates in the event the game must be moved, Breer adds. The NFL moved Super Bowl XVII back a week because of the 1982 strike and delayed Super Bowl XXXVI a week because of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The Super Bowl being pushed beyond mid-March would require a negotiation with the NFLPA, since it would conflict with the start of the 2021 league year. The NFL is not at this point yet, but given the uncertainty the coronavirus has injected into other sports’ seasons, the league is preparing for alternate scenarios.
Roger Goodell recently reduced his salary to zero dollars, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The 14th-year commissioner requested to the compensation committee he not take a salary during the pandemic, and Fowler adds that took effect weeks ago. Goodell makes roughly $40MM in salary.
Pay reductions have gone into effect at the league level. Various management-level execs at the league office will see their pay slashed by 5-15%, Fowler adds. These pandemic-induced salary reductions follow similar moves made by the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball.
The next set of NFL owners’ meetings — scheduled for May 19-21 in Marina Del Ray, Calif. — will be fully virtual, per the Washington Post’s Mark Maske (on Twitter). Considering NFL teams remain in virtual mode, this was expected.
The NFL will release its schedule Thursday. A full 17-week season will be scheduled, with some games possible to shift to Saturdays. No London games are believed to be on tap this season, however, due to the pandemic.

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