What Canceled Joint Practices in 2020 Mean for the Jaguars
For the last several seasons, the Jacksonville Jaguars have held joint practices with fellow NFL clubs during training camp to give themselves a chance to sharpen iron vs. iron. And while this was originally the plan for 2020, the Jaguars will now have to adjust.
The NFL told teams Tuesday that all teams must hold training camps this summer at their main practice facilities because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which means a cancelation of all proposed joint practices.
"The NFLPA was strongly in favor of these two decisions, which were made to limit exposure risks by avoiding the need for clubs to clean and maintain two facilities, by limiting the need for players and club staffs to travel to another location (sometimes located at a considerable distance from the home facility), and by limiting travel and contact between players on different clubs in the context of joint practices," commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly said in the memo. "These steps are being taken for the 2020 preseason to address the current conditions and are not expected to be in place in 2021."
Jacksonville was originally slated to hold joint practices with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa Bay this fall, which Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone confirmed on May 8, long before joint practices were canceled. Marrone said the Jaguars also made an attempt to schedule a team for Week 1 of the preseason for the purpose of joint practices, but that was curbed.
"So we had someone set up for the first game but we didn't get that game, you know this first preseason game. So we didn't get that game, so we got Carolina, so I'm not sure yet, you know, exactly what I want to do with that with, you know, [their] new staff and what they have to get themselves ready for," Marrone said in May. "We scheduled to practice against Tampa and obviously we're looking forward to that and you know we will plan on that unless you know obviously something changes from now for that time."
With the canceled practices, the Jaguars will now be kept from sharing the fields in Tampa with Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and the rest of Tampa's talented roster. Jacksonville is still set to play Tampa Bay in Week 2 of the preseason (Aug. 22).
The Jaguars will also be kept from traveling outside of Jacksonville in the event they wanted to take their training camp elsewhere, but Jacksonville has typically held training camp at their own facilities at TIAA Bank Field.
Jacksonville has participated in joint practices in each of Marrone's three seasons as head coach. In 2017, they hosted practices against the Buccaneers, while in 2018 and 2019 they traveled to practice against Minnesota and Baltimore.
"I do like joint practices. I think that you get a lot out of them but again, I think it's it's kind of like the draft or you know, we'll have to adjust," Marrone said in May. "I think when you go work out someone you get a lot out of it that too but we weren't able to do that. And I think if the joint practice gets cut, then we will obviously be able to adjust and do what we need to do."
