NFL teams are reportedly gearing up for camps to start by the end of July.
According to Ian Rapoport, teams around the league are preparing for veterans to get to camps by July 28, and that it’s unlikely players report early. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
Football activities have more or less been shut down since March when the coronavirus pandemic started.
While the NFL calendar remains in flux, multiple clubs are proceeding as if players won’t report to camp early — which means veterans would arrive July 28. Any ramp-up period would occur thereafter, likely in concert with a shortened preseason as @TomPelissero has reported.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 24, 2020
If camps don’t get underway until the end of July, that’s not a ton of time to prepare for the season. That’s not much time at all.
Reporting for camp July 28 would result in about six weeks of preparation before week one rolled around in September.
At that point, you honestly might as well scrap the entire preseason. Or, just limit it to one game for guys who might be on the fringe of the roster.
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You simply can’t just have a couple weeks of practice, four preseason games and then expect things to end well.
If players aren’t showing up until July 28, then get rid of the preseason and let them actually get into shape before taking a single snap.
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It’s much better than rushing everyone back.