Starting May 19, NFL teams will be allowed to re-open their practice facilities if the states where teams are located permit it. The announcement was made via a memo written by commissioner Roger Goodell.
Now, according to NFL Media’s Judy Battista, about 22 out of the 32 teams will be able to open their facilities and resume some work.
On NFL facilities starting to open next week, approximately 22 of the 32 teams would be able to open under current local rules.
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) May 15, 2020
Also included in the memo are restrictions on how many workers are allowed inside the facilities, which should be no more than 50 percent of non-player staff and up to 75 at maximum. Players who are rehabilitating their injuries are the only ones allowed to be inside the club’s establishments, with coaches and their staff still barred from the premises except for strength and conditioning coaches that are working with players on their rehab.
Goodell further elaborated on the process in his memo sent to all NFL teams.
“This first phase of reopening is an important step in demonstrating our ability to operate safely and effectively, even in the current environment,” Goodell wrote. “After we implement this first phase, and as more states and localities enact policies that allow more club facilities to reopen, I expect that additional staff, likely including coaching staff, will be allowed to return to club facilities in a relatively short time.”
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, NFL facilities have been closed to limit the spread of the infection.
This could come as good news for football fans, as the NFL is slowly but surely inching its way into being able to play games again. While about a third of the teams would still have to wait, seeing the rest come back to work should provide optimism that the upcoming season will push through.
Follow Us
Subscribe