Coaches to return to NFL facilities
Players still can’t report to their respect NFL team facilities, but coaches will be allowed to return to their club headquarters on Friday, according to a memo the league sent to all teams on Thursday.
That means Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury can start working in Tempe instead of his Paradise Valley home and reunite with his staff in person for the first time since team facilities were forced to close more than two months ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Most NFL facilities have already partially re-opened but were limited to a strict number of employees. Beginning Friday, the maximum number of team personnel can be expanded to 100, including coaches.
Because of ongoing state and local restrictions in northern California, the 49ers will be the only team that won’t be able to return to their facility on Friday.
“The team is aware and supportive of this plan and has been in communication with its local authorities to obtain all necessary permissions when available,” the league said in its memo.
The memo also said that “coaches and other football staff, particularly those who may be in a higher risk category or who may have concerns about their own health conditions, are expected to speak with the club medical staff or personal physician about any special precautions or other accommodations that may be appropriate for their particular circumstances.”
The NFL also said it is working with club medical staffs to implement a program for COVID-19 testing for coaching staffs and other football personnel prior to players returning to club facilities. Players aren’t expected to return until their start of training camp.
On Thursday, the Cardinals informed players that the team was cancelling its regularly-scheduled round of virtual team meetings to honor the memory of George Floyd. The first of three memorials for Floyd was on Thursday in Minneapolis and Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake was thankful the team gave the players the day off to mourn him.
“Cardinals have granted us the day off from meeting to honor George Floyd’s memorial,” Drake wrote on Twitter. “We are but a small cog in a big machine but gestures like these create dialogue and expands the vision to help take the next steps for a better tomorrow. Peace and love.”