Will there be joint practices at the Detroit Lions training camp in Allen Park this summer? It’s a question nobody can definitively answer just yet.
The Lions have hosted opposing teams in advance of their scheduled preseason games at Ford Field for joint practice sessions in the last couple of training camps. Last year it was the New England Patriots, following the New York Giants in the summer of 2018.
This year’s joint practice candidate for Detroit would be the New York Jets, the team’s first home preseason opponent. New York’s coach is Adam Gase, a former Lions coach and Michigan native. Nothing has been officially scheduled, and based on the current coronavirus pandemic restrictions and accommodations, it might not happen in 2020.
From a recent ESPN piece from analyst Seth Wickersham on the idea of joint practices this summer,
The NFL has not provided teams with guidance at this point regarding events such as joint practices. The league is working with outside experts and the NFL Players Association to develop protocols for players returning to team facilities. The NFL then will work on procedures for training camp.
The Lions make ideal candidates to share a joint week with the Miami Dolphins leading into their third preseason game in Miami, the week after the Jets come to Detroit. Dolphins coach Brian Flores and much of the Miami staff has ties with Lions coach Matt Patricia from their days together with the New England Patriots. That potential joint situation has also has yet to be scheduled.
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