Report: NFL proposes just one preseason game, players still opposed

There’s still a lot of uncertainty surrounding what a 2020 NFL season will look like, which is concerning considering the Chicago Bears and other teams will start reporting to training camp this week.

Players have already voiced their concerns regarding safety protocols amid COVID-19, noting that there’s no clear plan in place that will protect them and their families.

There’s also the preseason schedule that hasn’t been agreed to. Originally slated to be four games, the NFL opted to cut that in half to help with the acclimation period. But the NFLPA retorted with they wanted no preseason games.

Now, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the latest proposal on the table is a one-game preseason, which would take place during the normal third preseason week on Aug. 27. That should give players an extra week to prepare, although it’s not the full 21 days they’re seeking.

Under the NFL’s proposal, the one preseason game would be played in what normally is the third preseason week, the week of Aug. 27. That’d provide an extra week of preparation, though not the full 21 days of strength and conditioning players want.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 20, 2020

While Matt Nagy has been known to rest his starters in preseason since he took over as Bears head coach, this shortened preseason couldn’t come at a worse time for Chicago. With a looming quarterback competition and numerous position battles for starting jobs up for grabs, it doesn’t give Nagy a big sample size to make some pretty important depth chart decisions.

If the Bears do play one preseason game, they would host the defending NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers at Soldier Field on Saturday, Aug. 29.