In a new offer to the players' union, the NFL has proposed eliminating the 2020 preseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Previously, the league trimmed the exhibition slate from four to two contests, but the NFLPA voted for zero games as the appropriate course of action.
The status of the preseason is one of the primary unresolved issues before training camps open at the end of July.
The reaction to no NFL preseason games is all over the map. A coach I’m texting with just said “this just means camp is going to be much harder because we need live game reps, this isn’t all good” Meantime getting emojis sent back from players like “👏”
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) July 20, 2020
The NFL also offered an acclimation period of up to 18 days for players to work on strength and conditioning before practices become padded, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. A joint NFL-NFLPA health and safety committee had recommended a three-week acclimation period.
The league reportedly settled another key issue during an owners meeting on Monday, agreeing to test players for COVID-19 daily over the first two weeks of training camp. Players had voiced concerns about safety protocols in light of the pandemic.
