A number of NFL teams began to slowly open their facilities this week, including the Cardinals, Colts, Falcons and Cowboys. Clubs have been directed by the league to follow strict protocols as they start to open their doors and to comply with state and local governments’ directives.
The majority of employees who are resuming work are in the teams’ operational departments. Coaches, for instance, are still not permitted at the facilities.
While clearly there is some momentum in the openings, the NFL’s chief medical officer has not yet settled on a timeline for when the players can return.
“We are not putting dates on the calendar at this point,” Dr. Allen Sills said via NFL.com’s Judy Battista. Sills made his statement during a virtual owners meeting on Tuesday during which offseason planning was discussed.
Sills acknowledged that football, a contact sport, would provide a number of challenges as far as safety and social distancing are concerned.
“We fully expect we will have positive cases that will arise,” Sills said.
