NFL team doctors ‘with a couple reservations,’ say it is safe to open training camp

The NFL and NFLPA are not in lockstep about the current level of safety as it pertains to opening up training camp this summer. The players are extremely worried about a lack of specific protocols in place for their health and safety. The NFL, meanwhile, is signaling that everything is just fine.

NFL team doctors: It’s safe to open training camp

On a conference call with reporters Friday, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith conveyed that union officials had a call with team doctors Thursday night. During that call, the doctors gave the opinion, “with a couple reservations” that it is safe to open training camp.

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith says on a media call that union officials had a call last night with team doctors, who gave the opinion "with a couple reservations" that it is safe to open training camp.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 17, 2020

The reservations were not expressely defined.

This comes as the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs have already ordered their rookies to report for training camp on Monday. There is a huge concern from the players about reporting, especially in “hot spots” around the nation like Texas, Florida and California.

NFLPA shares preferred plan for ramping up training camp slowly

On the same call, NFLPA President J.C. Tretter shared a plan the players union has come up with that would both help keep players safe from COVID-19, and from other injuries.

JC Tretter, describes union's proposed ramp-up period (21 days strength and conditioning, 10 days of non-padded practices, then 14 days of contact acclimation). Says it grew out of discussions with medical experts.

— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) July 17, 2020

Tretter also further defined concerns that players have right now — concerns that have no answer from the NFL at this time.

NFLPA President J.C. Tretter on what happens when a teammate tests positive: There is a quarantine when a close contact teammate tests positive. Let's say I've been blocking with my teammates, and I've been blocking all these defensive linemen, aren't we talking about 30 guys?

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 17, 2020

There is also a financial component to all of this. The NFLPA shared Friday that it has estimated the NFL salary cap could be lowered by as much as $70 million in 2021 due to lost revenue this season — truly an astonishing amount.

There are multiple ways the two sides could handle such a loss. The first is to take the hit in one year. The second is to spread out the losses over a longer period of time.

NFLPA does not want any preseason games

Another issue that the NFL and NFLPA has not resolved is the matter of preseason games. The league already announced that it has cut two of the typical four preseason games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the NFLPA has made it clear that it does not want any preseason games to be played this summer. On Friday, Tretter made it clear the players view the preseason as non-essential, and furthermore expressed that playing those games could lead to the season not being completed as planned.

NFLPA clearly opposed to playing any preseason games. Union's view is that any preseason games increase the likelihood of problems with beginning or ending #NFL regular season on time https://t.co/kQKTwJ4mWS

— Bo Smolka (@bsmolka) July 17, 2020

Clearly, there is a lot that needs to be hammered out between the players and the owners.