2020 Training Camp: Players Practice Based on Independent Schedule

Due to COVID-19, players must practice based on a schedule. All players will not be on the field every day to maintain control of the the virus.

This year’s training camp is weird.

It’s mid-August and teams were finally permitted to start wearing helmets on Wednesday.

Of course, the adjustments of this year’s training camp were all due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On top of a modified training camp, players are on a schedule for when they can and cannot practice, per an NFL and NFL Players Association agreement.

For this reason, both right tackle Trent Brown and running back Josh Jacobs were absent from practice on Wednesday.

“Everyone has a schedule,” Coach Jon Gruden told reporters on Wednesday. “This is a strange training camp, so they’ll be some strange things going on and it gives us an opportunity to look at some players at the limited amount of time that we want to look at them.”

The key thing Gruden mentions here is the fact that he’s “looking at players.”

In other words, since training camp has been delayed this season, everyone is behind schedule. Coaches are still getting to know new additions to the team, taking a look at returning players' conditions, and trying to get an overall feel of the team.

With the NFL and NFL Players Association mandate, which forces players to be scheduled when they can and can’t practice, it makes it harder for coaches and players alike to build chemistry on the practice field.

In addition, during the entirety of training camp, COVID-19 has to be kept on the back of everyone’s mind. Currently, defensive end Maxx Crosby and running back Rod Smith remain on the reserve/COVID-19 list. They will remain on the list until COVID-19 tests return negative.

It’s a weird training camp and it’s looking like it’s going to potentially be a weird football season. But regardless of the circumstances, the Silver and Black are doing their best to prepare for the season.

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