As Eagles rookies and first-year players report to the NovaCare Complex today, we’re learning more about what NFL training camps might look like in 2020.
This will be an unusual summer.
Eagles rookies and first-year players are indeed reporting to the NovaCare Complex today but just for coronavirus testing. This is a process that will take several days.
Eagles quarterbacks and select players are scheduled to report to the NovaCare Complex on Thursday and the entire team is scheduled to report on July 28. They will all need to go through the same testing protocols, as agreed upon by the NFL and NFLPA.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has more information about the specifics of possible training camp timelines based on the NFL’s latest proposal:
So if the Eagles are scheduled to report completely by July 28, then we can follow an estimated timeline based on NFL Network’s information beginning on a start date for training camp of July 29. (This is if the proposal is accepted.)
• The first non-padded practice wouldn’t happen until the week of Aug. 10.
• The first padded practice wouldn’t happen until the week of Aug. 17.
And it’s really important to remember that the NFLPA has pushed hard (based on the joint medical committees recommendation) for a full 21-day acclimation period before practicing. So we could be looking at an even later timeline.
So even though training camp is pretty much here, it’ll be a while before we see something that really looks like football. And for good reason. Testing needs to come first.
The league and the players associated on Monday reportedly agreed to daily testing for a minimum of two weeks. Sports Business Journal has reported that the NFL will spend roughly $75 million on COVID-19 tests.
NFL
This entire situation is pretty fluid right now and there’s not a firm training camp plan in place just yet. But the NFL has also reportedly conceded with a proposal sans preseason games, which might be where that ends up. If there is one preseason game, it would have to be in late August or very early in September.
For now, the Eagles are scheduled to begin their regular season Sept. 13 in Washington.
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