The NFL and NFLPA have not yet come to an agreement on health and safety protocols for a return to football, but the league is moving ahead with the start of training camp anyway, with rookies reporting as early as July 21st, and veteran players on July 28th.
Back in June, the NFL issued COVID-19 protocol relating to a return to team facilities, and Ravens coach John Harbaugh called the guidelines “humanly impossible” to follow. Earlier this month, the NFL sent a memo to teams with details for training camp procedures that were “developed in partnership with the NFL Players Association,” according to a USA TODAY Sports report, but many details still had not been finalized.
On Sunday, major NFL stars from across the league took to social media to call for the NFL to announce the necessary specifics of a viable return-to-play plan. J.J. Watt presented a long list of issues, such as the frequency of COVID-19 testing, the implications of a positive test, and whether or not players at higher risk would be able to contractually opt out of the season.
