COVID-19 - Pro Football Rumors

NFL Discussing Contingency Plans Involving Shortened Season, Games Without Fans

April 15th, 2020 at 4:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

More than four months away from what would ordinarily be Week 1, the NFL has used a stay-the-course approach as its party line. But behind the scenes, the league has begun to prepare for major changes.

The NFL has begun discussions of major contingency plans — including one that features a shortened season and others that involve some or no fans at stadiums — because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports. This certainly makes sense, despite the league’s public stance thus far.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he believes sports can return in 2020 — but without fans at venues. California Gov. Gavin Newsom did not sound optimistic this week regarding fans trekking to California stadiums this year, and Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday during a CNN interview he does not anticipate games to be played in the city until 2021 (video link). The NFL will not reopen facilities until stay-at-home orders have been lifted nationwide.

While the NBA and Major League Baseball must make their decisions first, the NFL is going with a virtual draft and has all but committed to a fully virtual offseason. The next steps pertain to training camp, the preseason and the regular season. The NFL hopes widespread coronavirus testing will be available by the fall, Maske adds.

“I don’t know if it’ll be a one-third-filled stadium, a half-filled stadium or whatever,” a league source told Maske. “The NFL is planning for everything from playing without fans to playing with full stadiums. We know there will be a push from the [federal] government to open things up. I think we’re going to have fans in the stands.”

No NFL season has been shortened since 1987, when a players’ strike eliminated one game. In 1982, a strike wiped out seven contests and led to an amended playoff bracket. The league is planning to release this season’s schedule May 9 — later than usual — but Maske notes it is preparing a more flexible schedule for the 2020 season.

“As we have said, we are committed to protecting the health of our fans, players, club and league personnel, and communities,” the NFL said in a statement. “We look forward to the 2020 NFL season, and our guidelines and decisions will be guided by the latest advice from medical and public health officials, as well as current and future government regulations. We will continue to plan for the season and will be prepared to adjust as necessary, just as we have done with free agency, the draft, and now the offseason program.”

Dr. Fauci: “There’s A Way” For Sports To Resume In 2020

April 15th, 2020 at 10:51am CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has mostly kept its offseason on schedule throughout the pandemic with an eye on playing in the fall. Dr. Anthony Fauci believes that’s feasible, provided that the league does not have fans in attendance.

“There’s a way of doing that,” Fauci told Snapchat’s Peter Hamby (YouTube link). “Nobody comes to the stadium. Put [players] in big hotels, wherever you want to play, keep them very well surveilled….But have them tested every single week, make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their family, and just let them play the season out.”

Fauci, a devoted baseball fan, added that he “wants to see them play again.” And, in his personal opinion, he believes that fans will be eager to watch games, even if the atmosphere is lacking. Of course, the NFL has time on its side, whereas MLB does not. Already behind schedule, MLB owners and players are thinking about launching the season in Arizona for every team, with zero fans in the stands. Every league, including the NFL, will be keeping a watchful eye on baseball to inform next steps.

The Trump administration has taken a vested interest in the return of professional sports. They’ve solicited suggestions from Roger Goodell, NBA commissioner Adam Silver, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, MLB commish Rob Manfred, owners Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft, and many more leaders in the sports world. That list also includes WWE czar Vince McMahon, who has filed Chapter 11 on the XFL, and UFC president Dana White, who hopes to broadcast cards from “Fight Island” (Parts Unknown).

Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to talk with the NCAA’s Playoff Management Committee to assess options at the amateur level (Twitter link via Kaitlan Collins of CNN).

Latest On NFL Offseason, Training Camps

April 14th, 2020 at 3:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL and NFLPA announced a plan for a virtual offseason Monday, but the league may soon need to grapple with the prospect of changes being made to training camps or said camps not starting on time.

NFL general counsel Jeff Pash indicated the league has not yet discussed the possibility of altered training camps due to the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders certain states have put into place, per Mark Maske of the Washington Post (on Twitter). This comes after Roger Goodell said the plan remains for the season to start on time.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (via ESPN.com’s Lindsey Thiry, on Twitter) expressed doubt Tuesday about not only large groups gathering in his state this summer but during the next school year. With the NFL having three California teams, the league at some point in the near future will have to address this issue.

To prevent certain franchises from gaining advantages, teams cannot report to their facilities until stay-at-home orders are lifted nationwide. California’s current stay-at-home directive runs through May 15. Virginia, home to the Redskins’ training facility, has one in place through June 10.

Pash added that no discussions of the NFL moving teams out of stay-at-home states for offseason work, per Tom Rock of Newsday (on Twitter). The NFL has not given up on the prospect of some offseason activities occurring on-site, but it does not look like any such work will happen. Teams with new head coaches can begin their virtual offseason programs April 20; the ones with returning HCs must wait until April 27. Each team’s virtual offseason program must conclude by June 26.

NFL, NFLPA Agree On Virtual Offseason Plan

April 13th, 2020 at 4:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The expected virtual offseason put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic includes more details now. Teams’ respective offseason programs, under this amended format, will begin April 20. The NFL and NFLPA put in place procedures for the 2020 offseason Monday.

No team can report to its facility until all 50 states are cleared from the various lockdown measures the coronavirus has induced, per Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com (on Twitter). The NFLPA’s board voted unanimously to approve the changes after weeks-long negotiations with the league.

Phase 1 of this offseason format will only include voluntary classroom work, while the second phase — which begins May 18 — can include virtual individual workouts, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Phase 2 is also voluntary, as it is during normal work years. It remains uncertain how workout bonuses will be distributed.

Phase 1 classroom work is capped at two hours per day; so are Phase 2’s virtual workouts. Most teams will have three weeks’ worth of voluntary classroom work allowed. Teams that hired new HCs, however, can hold a veteran minicamp starting May 11. Veterans will receive $235 per day for virtual participation; rookies will collect $135 daily.

Each team’s offseason program cannot run beyond June 26. That is a later date than usual. Minicamps usually wrap up by mid-June at the latest, with players then working out independently before late-July training camp report dates. The league is holding out hope for some type of midsummer pre-training camp ramp-up period, however. That would not commence until late June or early July.

With many players not having access to home gyms, some will certainly possess advantages. However, each team will be mandated to provide players $1,500 stipends to acquire certain workout equipment, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets.

Certain states have quarantines in place until at least June 10, and due to the uncertainty COVID-19 has caused, it now looks like a good bet the NFL’s 2020 offseason will be fully virtual.

XFL Suspends Operations, Lays Off Employees

April 10th, 2020 at 11:24am CST by Zachary Links

The XFL has suspended operations and laid off its entire workforce, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The XFL was already on the ropes thanks to the COVID-19 epidemic and this could prove to be the knockout blow.

Vince McMahon attempted to reboot his football league with a ten-game (re)inaugural season, but he was forced to shut things down halfway through. Initially, the XFL expressed confidence that it would return in 2021, but McMahon might be forced to close up shop on the XFL for a second time.

Similar to the first time around, the XFL received mixed reviews from fans. The league did well in TV ratings to start the year as viewers looked for post-Super Bowl entertainment, but interest tailed in the following weeks. Still, the XFL featured a host of notable names and those players were released from their contracts on March 12, freeing them to pursue deals with NFL teams. Quarterbacks Josh Johnson, P.J. Walker, Jordan Ta’amu were among those who were in, then out, of the XFL 2.0.

XFL employees will be paid through Sunday, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. In his conference call with employees, COO Jeffery Pollock did not provide a timeline for when operations might resume.

Roger Goodell: NFL Planning To Play In 2020

April 9th, 2020 at 1:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Even amidst the uncertainty of the pandemic, the NFL plays to forge ahead with its 2020 season. This week, commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated that stance in a chat with Kairos CEO Ankur Jain.

“The NFL is planning to play,” Goodell said (link via the NFL on Instagram). “That’s our hope, and that’s our planning to date…We can help our country heal. We can help bring our communities together. We can provide hope.”

Goodell also stressed that public safety is paramount to the NFL. Right now, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which the NFL launches its season in September exactly as planned. Even if social distancing regulations are relaxed by local and federal regulators, the threat of a new COVID-19 wave will likely linger.

In the meantime, the NFL has drastically altered its offseason plans while mostly keeping the scheduled milestones in place. NFL executives will conduct the NFL Draft at their individual homes. And, between now and April 23rd, they’re conducting interviews with players via video conference.

President Trump has been pushing for the season to start on time, but there are many hurdles to clear between now and the fall. That goes for every city, but it’s doubly true in Los Angeles. SoFi Stadium is behind schedule and less than certain to be ready for Week 1, leaving the Rams and Chargers in limbo.

Extra Points: Draft, Bills, Williams, Manusky

April 4th, 2020 at 7:52pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting everything in the sports world, including the NFL draft. The draft being in Las Vegas has already been scrapped for a while, but now it appears teams won’t even be gathering in their respective buildings. In an unprecedented situation, multiple high-level officials will conduct the draft from their homes, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The pre-draft preparation will be more important than ever, as it will likely be more difficult for teams to coordinate internally while the draft is going on. It’ll be very interesting to see how this impacts draft-day trades, among other logistical issues.

Here’s more from around the league on a quiet Saturday night:

The Bills signed offensive lineman Daryl Williams a couple weeks ago, and now we have the details on his contract. Williams got a one-year deal worth $2.25MM from Buffalo with only $250K guaranteed, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets. As Pelissero points out the two sides are very familiar with one another since a lot of Buffalo’s brass, including head coach Sean McDermott, used to be with the Panthers. Williams started all 16 games at right tackle for Carolina in 2017 and played very well, but missed almost all of 2018 with a knee injury. He signed a one-year deal with the Panthers worth $7MM last year and started 12 games, a few each at left tackle, right guard, and left guard. Pelissero adds that Buffalo plans to move him back to the right side.
Greg Manusky spent the last three years as the Redskins’ defensive coordinator, but he got bounced last year after head coach Jay Gruden got the axe. Manusky has a new job now, and it’s a big step down the coaching ranks. The former 49ers, Chargers, and Colts defensive coordinator has accepted a position as a defensive quality control assistant with the University of Kentucky, according to JP Finlay of NBC Sports. It’s an unusual move for such a grizzled veteran, but it’s possible he decided to take this gig as a temporary stopgap before emerging with a more prominent role in 2021. Quality control coaches are often young guys on one of their first jobs, but nonetheless Manusky will be serving on Mark Stoops’ staff this fall.

Rams-Chargers Stadium May Not Be Ready For Season

April 4th, 2020 at 4:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams and Chargers may need contingency plans soon. Expected to open in July, SoFi Stadium is less certain to be ready for Week 1. Rams CEO Kevin Demoff is no longer committing to the site being ready by that time.

“Our stadium, and I believe the Raiders’ stadium as well, will both be amazing when they are finished and when they will begin play, which will certainly happen in the near future, whether that’s in July, August, September, in 2021,” Demoff said, via Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. “I don’t think you can look at either of these stadiums as short-term projects to finish but rather long-term beacons for the franchises and for the NFL.”

One of the workers on the Inglewood, Calif., site tested positive for COVID-19. Another is presumed to have the coronavirus, Farmer adds. The $5 billion project has long been scheduled to be completed in time for the 2020 season, but COVID-19 — as it’s done to many aspects of American life — has made this timeline less certain.

“This is not the time you want to be finishing a stadium, in this environment as you prepare,” Demoff said. “Because it’s when you need to be all hands on deck, walking through the building every day, meeting with your staff, working out the kinks and planning for it. So when you’ve been building something for a few years, you would love an optimal environment to finish it.”

While the Rams playing at the Los Angeles Coliseum and the Chargers at Dignity Health Park would seemingly be the L.A. teams’ contingency plans, bigger issues loom. Earlier Saturday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he does not envision a scenario in which California stadiums and arenas will be able to host fans. The NFL’s current stance is for fans to be allowed in stadiums and the season to start on schedule, though the league’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, walked that back a bit.

Interestingly, Jeff Pash, general counsel to the NFL, said that not only do the Chargers and Rams have contingency plans in the event their stadium is not ready but that the Raiders do as well. The Raiders recently declined an option to play the 2020 season in Oakland and years ago UNLV’s Sam Boyd Stadium was deemed a non-starter. It is not clear what the Raiders’ alternate-site option is at this point.

Pres. Trump: NFL Should Start Season On Time

April 4th, 2020 at 2:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

In a conference call with 12 sports commissioners Saturday, President Donald Trump said the NFL should start its season on time, Adam Schefter and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com report. The president added that he hopes to have fans back in stadiums by August or September.

This would obviously be a major win for the NFL, which as of now plans to start its season on time and with fans in stadiums. However, considering the uncertainty COVID-19 has caused, it is difficult to determine how realistic a scenario of starting the season on time will be.

Trump said later Saturday afternoon he expects fans in stadiums and arenas “sooner than later” but added that he is not committing to the August-September range (Twitter links via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo).

An NFL return by Week 1 would hinge on widespread coronavirus testing being available, according to NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills. The league proceeding with large groups of fans cannot be a known reality until a vaccine is available, Sills added (via Judy Battista of NFL.com). The vaccine timetable, as of this week, is approximately 18 months. Sills said the NFL will follow recommendations from public health officials.

“I would say that’s everyone’s hope, that we are in a position to do that,” Sills said earlier this week regarding starting the season on time. “But the reality is none of us know those facts for certain right now. We hope and pray for the best and prepare for the worst, realizing that is one potential outcome that we will be back fully in business playing games as normal in front of fans on schedule. But it’s certainly not the only outcome.”

Asked Saturday about California teams having fans in stadiums by September, governor Gavin Newsom said he is not optimistic about such a scenario (Twitter link via CNN’s Ronald Brownstein). That would certainly create issues for the 49ers, Chargers and Rams.

The NFL’s offseason programs are on hold, but teams are not giving up hope on some type of ramping-up period before training camp. The league has closed all 32 teams’ facilities, and no more than 10 people can be in draft war rooms later this month. When exactly the league will return to on-field action is not known, but the NFL’s goal (and the president’s) is for the league to start its 101st season on time.

NFL Issues Memo On Draft Sites

April 3rd, 2020 at 10:01am CST by Rory Parks

As you probably know by now, the 2020 NFL Draft is proceeding as scheduled and will take place from April 23-25. However, it’s going to look and feel a lot different than it normally does, and the league has issued a memo on that front. The entire memo can be found here, courtesy of Albert Breer of SI.com (via Twitter).

Essentially, teams can conduct the draft in one of two ways. They can conduct them at their facilities, though they would obviously be subject to all applicable health and safety guidelines (including a limit on the number of personnel that can be at the facility and rigorous cleaning requirements). Or, they can conduct them totally remotely from the personal residences of their staff, though there would certainly be a limit on the number of personnel that could be present at any one residence.

The memo went on to say that a team can choose to draft from remote sites even if other teams choose to operate from their facilities. On the other hand, if any one team’s state prohibits that team from using its home facility, then all teams will be so prohibited and must conduct the draft remotely. Although the league has drawn plenty of criticism for pressing forward in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is at least trying to maintain some semblance of fairness in the way clubs can handle their business.

It seems that at least one team will be in a state that prohibits a gathering of personnel in a war room setting at a team facility, so it presently sounds as though execs and coaches from around the league should start preparing to select their collegiate prospects from their living rooms. The NFL’s IT department is working to make that process as seamless as possible.

COVID-19 News & Rumors