Seahawks, All 32 NFL Teams Set to Kick Off 'Virtual' Offseason Programs

In an unprecedented move, the NFL and NFLPA hashed out an agreement for a virtual offseason program to allow teams to maintain communications with their players until the coronavirus pandemic subsides.

After weeks of discussion, the NFL and NFLPA have finalized plans for a modified offseason protocol with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic preventing teams from meeting with players at team facilities.

Starting on April 20, teams with new head coaches, including the Redskins, Cowboys, and Giants in the NFC East, will be allowed to start voluntary offseason programs. Teams such as the Seahawks with returning head coaches will be eligible to launch their offseason programs on April 27. This "virtual period" will last through May 15.

According to a league memo acquired by the Seahawk Maven, if teams opt to hold offseason workout programs this year, "classroom instruction and on-field activities that customarily take place at the club facility... are being supplanted by on-line classroom instruction and virtual workouts for an indeterminate period."

After May 15, each franchise will have six weeks worth of offseason work available and while the NFL kept options open for a possible return to on-field work at that time, the memo also left open the possibility for programs to remain virtual following that date. Adhering to guidance from medical professionals, as long as one team facility is closed by COVID-19 restrictions, all 32 facilities will remain closed.

If team facilities remain shut down into June, teams will be allowed to initiate mandatory minicamps for veterans, "provided that (i) any online classroom instruction may not exceed two hours; (ii) any virtual workouts may not exceed two hours; and (iii) the club may schedule the times for these activities as it chooses." All offseason programs must wrap up no later than June 26.

Teams choosing to start virtual offseason programs will be allowed to contact players to ensure they have the necessary equipment and will be willing to wear monitors to track assigned workouts as part of the program. If players don't have access to necessary equipment, teams will be allowed to spend up to $1,500 per player, with funds coming directly from the team.