Following discussions with the NFLPA, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced sweeping postponements Monday night to the league’s offseason activities in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Based on the most recent guidance provided by leading health officials and in consultation with the NFLPA and both our and the union’s medical advisors, we believe this is the appropriate way to protect the health of our players, staff and our communities,” Goodell said in a statement.
The league and union put several rules in place, effective immediately.
* The start of the offseason programs on April 6 (new coaches) and April 20 (returning coaches) is postponed. The league and union will “periodically meet and reassess the public health situation to determine an appropriate start date.”
The NFL divides a team’s offseason into three “phases.” The final segment is 10 organized team activity (OTA) workouts that are voluntary and a three-day mandatory minicamp in early-to-mid June. Those are also in doubt and it is entirely possible 2020 could be a repeat of 2011, when a lockout cancelled out any football activities until training camp.
* The league year will begin as scheduled at 2 p.m. Wednesday, but with conditions.
Teams may not bring a free-agent player to their facility for a visit or meet at a neutral location. Members of a club’s medical staff may not travel to any location to conduct a physical exam of a free-agent player.
The league and union are developing protocols to provide clubs with opportunities to review a free-agent player’s medical records in the player’s home city or at another nearby location.
* Every team’s facility will be closed to players for at least the next two weeks except for those players who are undergoing rehabilitation and treatment that is supervised by the team.
