Giants Training Camp 2020: What We Know and What We Don't Yet Know

Spoiler alert: We don't know a lot thanks to the on-going negotiations between the NFL and NFLPA to resolve a few remaining outstanding items brought into the spotlight thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Giants rookies, quarterbacks, and select players were initially supposed to report to the Quest Diagnostics Training Center on July 21 with the rest of the team due to report July 28. 

That July 21 reporting date then got pushed back to July 23. More recently, the reporting date was put on ice, given the continued negotiations between the league and the players on everything from the number of preseason games (now at zero) to testing frequency to financials.

What's going on? And are we getting football at all?

The answer to the second question is yes, barring a national shutdown order from the federal government, there is going to be some kind of season, though what that season will look like and if it the NFL will be able to do what the XFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and other sports leagues couldn't accomplish (have a full and uninterrupted season) remains to be seen.

As for the first question, well, a lot is going on. From the Giants perspective, the reason why they have the players cooling their jets, for the time being, is because there is a lack of clarity from the league regarding some critical issues.

Some of these issues include how training camp schedules need to be set up to accommodate the ramp-up and padded practices. So rather than have players travel before they need to, the organization is allowing players to stay safe at their homes, one rookie player's agent confirmed to Giants Country.

Then there is another element likely playing into the reporting dates being adjusted, and that is the very strong possibility of rosters being trimmed from 90 to 80. The Giants do not want to have guys who might end up being cut before they're even fitted for equipment make an unnecessary trip. 

What we do know—sort of—is that the league and players union have reached a consensus on COVID-19 testing. The players had wanted it done daily, but the compromise is that there will be daily testing for the first two weeks and then every other day after that so long as the positive test counts remain under five percent.

Before that schedule goes into effect, players will be tested on the first and fourth day of camp, with daily virtual meetings held in between. If the players have two negative tests, they will be allowed to enter the building for an expedited strength and conditioning period for 18 days before football practices commence. 

The Giants will hold most of their training camp activities at MetLife Stadium, which has multiple locker rooms that will allow the players to spread out to meet social distancing guidelines. They will be bused to and from the Quest Diagnostics Training Center, located just across the stadium parking lots, for their on-field work only.  

UPDATE: SNY's Ralph Vacchiano reported that the Giants rookie/quarterbacks report date of July 23 is back on.

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