NFL teams are set to return to their facilities this week for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic forced all 32 clubs into a work-from-home environment.
ESPN reported Tuesday that almost all teams would be allowed to open facilities this week with a few exceptions. Some states seen as COVID-19 hot spots — including Illinois and Washington — could remain closed for a short period of time.
The NFL ordered teams to work from home in on March 24, closing all team facilities and conducting the first of its kind draft in April.
Offseason workouts, including voluntary and minicamp sessions, have taken place virtually.
All facilities are expected to be open well before training camp is scheduled to begin in late July. ESPN reported the NFL plan for preseason is flexible, and shortening the four-week preseason to reduce the number of games and limit travel is viewed as likely.
Teams will be confined to their team facilities and unable to travel to another location to hold training camp. The Dallas Cowboys, who travel to Oxnard, Calif., every July for camp, will be prohibited from returning there this summer. The Buffalo Bills (St. John Fisher College) and Pittsburgh Steelers (St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa.) are among the other teams who use off-site destinations for training camp.
Based on the same report, popular joint practices between teams in the preseason are not expected to be approved.
Multiple teams, including the Atlanta Falcons, Bills and Miami Dolphins, publicly shared they had made efforts to arrange joint workouts during the preseason.
