NFL on having a season w/ pandemic (thread 1, to 7/17))

As the NFL and the union work toward workplace rules for training camps, NFLPA president says every answer “brings up three more questions” https://t.co/RqYZk0ycko

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) July 1, 2020

Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
I’ve been saying this for a while now. The sense I get is, while the @NFL hopes all fans are on board and in support of the socially conscientious decisions the league is making, I also don’t get the sense they are sweating the loss of some “fans” that might result.

Dan Graziano@DanGrazianoESPN
NFLPA held a 2-hour call today for player reps. Lots of info re: season plans. Players could face fines for conduct detrimental if they’re found to have spread COVID by engaging in “reckless” behavior away from the facility, such as eating out at restaurants or riding in Ubers.

Other items from NFLPA call:
-Meetings, media access likely to be virtual, not in-person.
-Current proposal is to test every other day in camp, players pushing for daily testing. Public access to testing is a factor.
-Players will stay in their homes, not team hotels, for camp.

Sources said there is definitely some sentiment among players of, “Why are we playing at all if it’s this unsafe?” A ton of questions still have to be answered before they feel good about playing. There’s another NFLPA call scheduled for Friday for all players, not just reps.

Tom Pelissero@TomPelissero
With the NFLPA still opposed to preseason games, one possible camp schedule the union has discussed:

3 days: medical/equipment
21 days: strength & conditioning
10 days: unpadded practice
14 days: practice (10 max/8 padded)

Then it’d be straight into Week 1.

Worth noting is this scenario as discussed by the NFLPA: Players would be divided into smaller groups initially, e.g. under 15 players for S&C and up to 40 in unpadded practices. That’d buy an extra month or so before all players are together in a higher-exposure setting.

Albert Breer@AlbertBreer
Btw, worth mentioning the NFLPA’s recommendation of cancelling preseason game will come with significant lost revenue. Teams will lose the gate, lose out on a lot of local TV money, plus the league’s network routinely posts its highest ratings in August, bc of the games.

Some more notes from the NFLPA call …

• Standard for contact tracing = being around someone for 10+ minutes at closer than 6 feet.

• After players report, COVID cases will be “football injuries”, requiring guys be paid.

• Handling of loss of revenue is being discussed.

From NFL Now on @nflnetwork on the standoff between the NFL and NFLPA on the number of preseason games and why each side feels it has a say on the matter. Plus a cameo of sorts by @TomPelissero. pic.twitter.com/c3c3vTsaNV

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 3, 2020

Players aren't ready to accept mandatory face shields https://t.co/5surBECepF

— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) July 4, 2020

Mike Garafolo@MikeGarafolo
Last night @TomPelissero said the NFLPA told the NFL to “kick rocks” on the proposal to hold some 2020 salary in escrow. A well-placed player source tells me this morning the chances are “less than zero percent” the players will accept that. The union is firmly dug in.

The players’ side believes the league has no legal position to hold this year’s money in escrow. The NFLPA is adamant about borrowing for future years to offset a potential salary cap drop in 2021. To them, flat caps for a few years > giving back money in 2020.

After the Bills’ naming rights sponsor lays off 117 workers there, Buffalo politician says he’s going back to calling it Ralph Wilson Stadium https://t.co/nJFqFam3AA

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) July 9, 2020

NFL, NFLPA discussing plan for potential player opt-outs in 2020

https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-nflpa-discussing-plan-for-potential-player-opt-outs-in-2020

With veterans expected to report to training camps in 20 days, the NFL and NFL Players Association have a host of issues to continue to sort out before players return.

Among the questions lingering in the air amid the COVID-19 pandemic is the potential for players opting out of participating in 2020.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Wednesday on NFL NOW that the league and union anticipate player opt-outs would be available, but would need to be communicated by a certain date.

“My understanding is both the union and the league intend to have an opt-out for players who have either a pre-existing condition, family (members) with pre-existing conditions, just general concerns over COVID-19, would not want to play this season,” Pelissero said. “General managers were told on a call earlier this week there would be a specific date by which players would need to opt-out. That date is still to be determined.”

We’ve seen players in the MLB and NBA opt to sit out as their respective sports return to play. It’s unclear how many NFL players would consider sitting an entire season. Several veterans, including the McCourty twins in New England and Stefon Diggs in Buffalo, recently have voiced concerns about playing amid the pandemic.

With any potential opt-outs comes the question of how that would affect a player’s contract.

Pelissero reported that possible tolling of contracts of players who opt out is still to be determined and is something that would need to be agreed to prior to the start of training camp

John McClain , Houston Chronicle
from https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/john-mcclain/article/Mailbag-Texans-2020-NFL-season-COVID-19-15398638.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral

Q: I am starting to have serious questions about restarting professional sports. Players are testing positive for COVID-19 in baseball. I don’t hear much about football, but I have real concerns. After all, football is more contact-related with hard breathing and fluids. If even one player in any sport were to become seriously ill or die from COVID-19, that would be a tragedy. — Ronald J.

A: Yes, it would, Ronald. Because NFL players haven’t reported, we have no idea how many have tested positive, but you can be sure when they report to camp, there’ll be many positive tests. The NFL wants the show to go on, so I expect the season to start on time without fans. As long as teams have enough healthy players, I think they’ll play. There’s a lot of money to be made. I do think there’ll be interruptions. We’d be foolish to think the season will go smoothly.

Q: I don’t see the NFL, MBL, NBA or NHL playing this year. One does not have to be a medical researcher to see that the virus is not leveling off but is instead accelerating. I seriously doubt Division I college football will play as well. The owners can ride this out for a year and still pay their staffs. Likewise, all but the bottom-tier players can handle one year without a paycheck. Many minimum wage workers are having to do it. Those players who cannot should turn to their union for assistance. The union can tap the strike fund for those few who need it. Never thought I’d say this but missing sports these past four months has not brought the world to an end. Call 2020 a mulligan and shoot for 2021. — Eric R.

A: Ultimately, you might be right, Eric, but players want to get paid. Because they’re young and healthy, most believe it’s worth the risk and want to earn their money. The owners are going to lose a lot of money without fans, so they’re determined to play unless there are so many positive tests they’re forced to shut down. I don’t see that happening. I think the players who test positive will be treated like injured players in that they’ll have to deal with it the best way teams know how.

Q: It seems MLB has their protocol for testing in place like the PGA Tour. Do you know what the NFL is going to do? What happens if a star player like Deshaun Watson tests positive? I assume he’ll have to quarantine for two weeks. What happens if half the team tests positive? Do you think the NFL will play this year? I think we’ll know a lot more after training camp. — Glen K.

A: I agree about training camp, Glen. Any player who tests positive has to be quarantined and can’t return until he has two negative tests. They’re hoping most players won’t be very ill or some will be asymptomatic and can return to play as soon as possible. I think Roger Goodell is determined to start the season on time. I’d delay it at least a month, including cancelling games if I had to. I think it’s ridiculous to start the second week of September. After the first weekend of games, if there are a lot of positive tests, Goodell will have to decide to play or delay.

Tom Pelissero@TomPelissero
The NFLPA sent the NFL an economic counterproposal, per sources:

– No escrow of 2020 salaries
– Flat salary cap of $198.2M for 2021
– Spread revenue loss this year over 2022-2030 caps
– All fully guaranteed money paid even if games are canceled

Albert Breer@AlbertBreer
the economics are still the big boulder to move. In a nutshell …

• Looming ’21 cap drop is the issue.
• NFLPA wants losses spread over future years.
• NFL wants players to take a hit now.

No one wants a cap drop in ’21. Good for no one — Players lose jobs, rosters get slashed. Either paycut or smoothing of the cap help solve that.

Well, NFL once smoothed the cap before (’11-13). Guess what? Some owners hated it, felt it was an interest-free loan to players.

Evan Koch@evankoch
I often see those defending the owners say “they should make more, they are taking all the risk.” Welp…. This is that fabled risk being played out isn’t it? If they transfer their losses immediately to the players, they should also transfer gains immediately during boom years

Mike Tanier@MikeTanier
NFL owners are actually encountering “risk ” for the 1st time in their lives in many cases right now. So naturally they will act like operating in the red for a year or 2 is like losing the farm.

Expect about double that number by the time initial testing is done. Players maybe be healthy and young but not immune to what is out there in the community. Key to season is what happens after initial tests and quarantine. https://t.co/NsB8f54vCS

— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) July 16, 2020

What we learned from the NFLPA's Friday conference call https://t.co/SnlU5x0qTR

— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) July 17, 2020