The NFL will be the last major North American sports league to return to play following the global outbreak of COVID-19. The league's previous season ended just as the pandemic was beginning, giving the NFL plenty of time to figure out a strategy ahead of the 2020 campaign.
Commissioner Roger Goodell announced in late July that the league and its players association had come to an agreement on how training camps would proceed, allowing teams to get onto the field as scheduled.
Not everything will go on as usual, however — there will be more focus placed on strength and conditioning during this year's camps, along with increased safety protocols. As with every other sporting organization trying to do business during the pandemic, the NFL is battling a moving target.
Here's everything we know.
NFL training camp dates 2020
- Rookies report: July 21
- Veterans report: July 28
- Opt-out date: Aug. 4
- Full-contact practice begins: Aug. 17
The first 20 days after all players report will be devoted to strength and conditioning, keeping physical contact to a minimum throughout what the league is referring to as Phase 1.
It's not until Aug. 17 that "padded practices" — allowing full contact — will be permitted.
The above dates apply to all teams except the Chiefs and Texans, whose players are allowed to report three days early because they will play in the Thursday night season opener (Sept. 10) ahead of the rest of the league's openers the following Sunday and Monday.
NFL players also reportedly have until Tuesday, Aug. 4 to decide whether to opt out of the 2020 season because of COVID-19 concerns and earn the stipends/contract tolling.
NFL training camp COVID-19 testing policies
As mentioned, nearly the entire first half of the 48-day training camp will be devoted to strength and conditioning, with the health and safety of the players taking on even more importance under new COVID-19 protocols. All teams will follow the schedule below, except for the Chiefs and Texans (whose dates are three days earlier at each step).
| Date | Period |
| July 28-31 | COVID-19 testing and virtual meetings |
| Aug. 1-2 | Physicals and equipment distribution |
| Aug. 3-11 | Acclimation period |
| Aug. 12-16 | Gradual ramp-up period |
| Aug. 17-Sept. 6 | Contact integration period (practice) |
In regards to the NFL's health and safety protocols for training camps, all 32 teams submitted infectious disease emergency response (IDER) plans, and all were cleared by NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills. In order to be allowed to have more than 20 people at their respective facilities, teams' IDER plans need to be approved by the NFLPA. Most have already received approval.
For 14 days starting Aug. 1, all NFL personnel will be tested daily, with testing moving to every other day should the positive rate stay below five percent at the end of the initial two-week period.
BioReference Laboratories, the company that is also handling the NBA's testing, has been hired by the NFL to set up test sites at each of the 32 teams' practice facilities. Tests can be completed and turned around in 24 hours, according to a report from NBC Sports.
NBC Sports' Peter King reports that if a player tests positive, he'll fall into one of two categories:
- "If he has symptoms of COVID-19, at least 10 days must pass since the first symptoms occurred and at least 72 hours have passed since symptoms last occurred. He must test negative and have his return approved by a team doctor in consultation with league medical officials."
- "If he is asymptomatic, 10 days must have passed since his positive test — or five days have passed since the positive test, plus two tests that show negative results, for him to resume playing."
Along with testing, the NFL is implementing contact tracing at each training facility. Players will be given tracking devices upon entering their teams' facilities to aid in contact tracing, allowing officials to create detailed reports of any possible interactions between COVID-positive personnel and anyone else at the facility.
In addition, each team will have three officials in charge of enforcing the IDER plans, including mandatory face coverings at all times while indoors.
Why the NFL canceled preseason games
Perhaps the most contentious issue between the league and its players was whether preseason games would be played. The NFL initially suggested a two-game preseason, with the players countering that their health was not worth the risk of even a pair of preseason contests.
The NFL then dropped the proposal to one game before quickly cutting all preseason games from its schedule. It was a win for the players association, which felt that a 48-day training camp with no preseason games would be in the best interest of its members to save any risk for the regular season.
Thus, the first scheduled NFL action of the 2020 season will be the season opener between the Chiefs and Texans on Sept. 10.