The NFL will cut its preseason in half and push back the start of exhibition play so teams have more time to train following an all-virtual offseason made necessary by the coronavirus pandemic, a person with knowledge of the decision told the Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the league hasn’t announced that the preseason will be cut from four games to two.
The news comes one day aftter Daniel Kaplan of the Athletic reported the NFL is considering making fans who attend games this season sign liability waivers protecting teams from coronavirus-related lawsuits.
The proposal is likely to be sent to teams next week, along with an array of other best practices for re-opening stadiums during the pandemic.
“It is probably something you do electronically, just trying to figure out the operational challenges associated with waivers,” an unnamed source told Kaplan. “Just have to work out how best to do that.”
The pandemic forced teams to conduct their entire offseason programs via videoconference. So, teams will be gathering together for the first time when training camps open on 28 July.
Minus the usual minicamps, on-field practices and in-person weight training from April to June, players’ conditioning won’t be what it normally is. So, eliminating the first week of preseason games 13-16 August will give them more time to ratchet up their football fitness.
Teams will now play exhibitions 20-24 August and 27-31 August during what were originally the second and third weeks of exhibition play with all 32 teams playing one home and one road game.
Most of those games will remain the same as originally scheduled although some matchups in that second slate will have to be changed so every team gets a game at home.
The exhibition finales on 3 September were also scrapped, giving teams more time to get ready for the regular season, which opens on 10 September with Houston at Kansas City.
There are no changes to the regular-season schedule.
The league continues to draw up protocols, not only for Covid-19 mitigation but for ramping up practices during the first few weeks of training camp.
The annual Hall of Fame Game pitting Pittsburgh and Dallas on 6 August was recently scrapped as the induction ceremonies were pushed back to 2021.