Titans Wrap Up Virtual Offseason, Await Word on Training Camp

Coach Mike Vrabel expects an early start to camp, which figured into his decision to give the players extra time on their own now.

NASHVILLE – That’s a wrap.

The Tennessee Titans ended their virtual offseason Thursday with time to spare. The NFL gave teams until June 26 to conduct meetings and do what they could without players and coaches actually being in the same place.

“Our players put a lot into this,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “They had a lot of dedication to be on these meetings voluntarily, to be involved, to making sure that they worked out and got on these meetings, and our rookies, to be involved in the rookie program and get brought up to speed as best as they possibly could.

“I felt like this was the right time. I didn’t want it to drag, I didn’t want to see these long faces in the meeting, and I felt like they continued to be engaged as we started to end.”

The next time they conduct formal activities remains to be seen.

The league’s new collective bargaining agreement, approved in March, requires teams to start training camp 47 or 48 days before their regular-season openers, which for most, including the Titans, is July 28. However, because the traditional aspects of the NFL offseason, including organized team activities (OTAs) and mini-camps, were scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the expectation is that teams will be given permission to gather early for work in advance of training camp.

With that in mind, the Titans were not the only ones that cut off this year’s action early.

“I anticipate an earlier start [to training camp] and so I felt like in order to allow for our players and their families to be emotionally and physically ready for the season, I wanted to try to give them some of that time, as well as our coaching staff so that we could come back fresh and ready,” Vrabel said. “… Whatever they tell us, that’s what we’re going to do.”

The Titans began their virtual offseason on April 27. Initially, the NFL hoped to allow teams to transition to some sort of “on-field” format beginning May 18, but that did not happen. Team facilities remained closed except for select personnel in recent weeks. Coaches were cleared to return to their offices late last week, and Vrabel and his staff did so for the first time Monday.

Now, they have had enough. Coaches will be on vacation until the start of training camp (whenever that is) and players will be on their own to prepare themselves physically and mentally for what is to come.

“I don’t feel like you can ever have enough [work],” safety Kevin Byard said. “I feel like every time I walk into the building every single day or every time I get into meetings, I’m learning something new, I’m refreshing my memory as far as game-planning or just learning more about ball. I always feel like we can do more.

“… It should be the next phase of really just mentally and physically locking in and getting ready for a long, rigorous football season.”