The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Camp starts with practice two weeks away
Kevin Stefanski was named Browns head coach on Jan. 13 and still hasn’t met all of the players on his roster. That is how strange the novel coronavirus pandemic is making the 2020 NFL season.
Quarterbacks, rookies and injured players reported to the Browns’ training complex in Berea on July 24. The remaining veterans reported July 28.
In a normal year, Stefanski would have greeted his players at the start of the offseason program in early April, but this year, all teams did their offseason coaching through social media.
In a normal summer, Stefanski would have held a team meeting on July 28 to officially kick off training camp. The first practice of training camp for all 90 players, albeit without pads, would be conducted July 29. Fans would ring the practice fields.
But this is not a normal summer. The first practice won’t occur until Aug. 12, and no fans will be permitted to watch practice in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When players reported July 28 (and those that reported July 24), they got no further than the parking lot. It is the same with all 32 NFL teams as the league and NFL Players’ Association, along with medical advisers, work together to minimize the risk of being infected by COVID-19.
• Instead of going through their normal physicals and filling lockers with their personal belongings for the upcoming season, players report to a tent and trailer set up in the parking lot at 76 Lou Groza Boulevard. They were tested July 28 with nose swabs and will be tested again July 29-July 31.
Players are required to self-quarantine at home during the four-day testing period and attend virtual Covid-19 training and education sessions.
Players with three consecutive negative tests are permitted to enter team headquarters on Aug. 1 for physicals and equipment fitting.
Running back Dontrell Hilliard and rookie defensive back Jovante Moffatt, both among players that reported July 24, were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. The Browns are not permitted to say whether they tested positive for the virus or if they are on the list because they had close contact with an infected person. They will remain on the reserve list until they are cleared to practice.
• Daily testing will continue
for two weeks and will resort to testing every other day if the positive rate for the team is below five percent. The daily testing will continue if more than five percent test positive.
• The next step toward actual practice starts Aug. 3 and runs through Aug. 11 for players that passed three COVID-19 tests. Players can be in the weight room for 60 minutes and go through on-field conditioning for 60 minutes. Group sizes cannot exceed 15 players in the weight room or onfield conditioning. Remember — all players, including those that tested negative for three tests prior to being
allowed to enter the building, will still be tested daily for at least 14 more days.
Only strength and conditioning coaches are permitted to work with players during the nine-day acclimation period.
• Things will start to resemble a normal training camp when practice actually begins Aug. 12. Players will wear helmets and protective shirts the first two days and wear helmets and shells Aug. 14.
Aug. 15 is an off-day. Players will be in helmets and shells again on Aug. 16.
The first padded practice is set for Aug. 17 - 27 days before the Browns open the season on Sept. 13 against
the Ravens in Baltimore.
Teams can conduct 14 padded practices between Aug. 17-Sept. 6. Players are off Aug. 8 and then get one day off every seven days.
• Padded practices the first five days can be no longer than 90 minutes. After that they can be increased by 15 minute increments, topping off at 2.5 hours. Players can be on the field a maximum of four hours, including walk-through periods.
• The NFL canceled all preseason games and scrimmages with other teams to cut down on travel and mingling with other players.
Players must follow strict social guidelines off the
field. They risk fines for violating the following restrictions:
• Attending an indoor bar with more than 15 people, unless they are picking up food;
• Being in an indoor nightclub, sporting event, concert or similar venue that has more than 15 people in attendance;
• Attending an indoor religious function filled to more than 25 percent capacity; and
• Players are staying at their homes instead of a team hotel for training camp.
Rosters must be cut from 90 to 80 on Aug. 16 and to 53 on Sept. 5.