Report: NFL's New Proposal Cuts Preseason To Just One Game
BOSTON (CBS) -- NFL teams are getting ready to report for Training Camp within the next week, but the league and NFLPA still don't have an agreement on how to hold the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Players voiced their displeasure with the league Sunday on social media, and the NFL may be willing to budge -- at least a little.
In terms of changing the 2020 season during the pandemic, the NFL cut the preseason in half last month. But at the moment, players don't want to play any preseason games. The NFL is hoping they can meet somewhere in the middle.
According to NFL Media's To Pelissero, the NFL submitted a proposal to players that included just a single preseason game.
The NFL's latest proposal to players includes just one preseason game, rather than two, sources say.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 20, 2020
Players still want no preseason games and a longer acclimation period. But a sign the sides are working and getting closer to a plan for 2020.
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That lone preseason game, according to Pelissero, would be held the week of Aug. 27, which would have been the third week of the normal preseason slate.
Players seem to be set on their desire not to play any exhibition games, instead wanting three weeks of strength and conditioning ahead of the season after missing the entire spring workout schedule due to the pandemic. They would prefer not to risk any injuries in a preseason game.
Negotiations are expected to continue Monday, with ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting that the league and owners will have a meeting at 2 p.m. (his tweet says noon, but he later clarified) to try to finalize a deal.
NFL and owners now will be conducting a league meeting at noon ET today as they try to finalize health and safety measures, financial arrangements, and reducing or eliminating preseason games, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 20, 2020
The NFL is certainly cutting things a little close, with the Chiefs rookies and quarterbacks and Texans rookies set to report on Monday. The NFL's other teams, including the Patriots, have rookies set to report on July 21, with quarterbacks and injured players reporting on July 23. All other players will report for camp on July 28.