Vikings Announce Dates For Players Reporting to Training Camp
The most unique training camp in Vikings history is right around the corner. The team announced on Monday that rookies, quarterbacks, and "select players" will report to TCO Performance Center this Thursday, while the full 87-man roster will report on Tuesday, July 28th.
The Vikings previously announced that there will be no fans at training camp for the first time in franchise history. That decision was in accordance with a league-wide NFL protocol.
There were reasons to be skeptical about the NFL's ability to start training camps on time – and there remain issues that need to be ironed out between the league and the NFLPA – but it appears that it's all systems go as we head towards the beginning of the 2020 season.
Reporting to camp this Thursday will be the Vikings' four quarterbacks, 27 rookies, and "select" others, though it's unclear who falls into the latter group. Seventh-round QB Nate Stanley is the only member of the Vikings' 15-man draft class to sign his rookie contract yet, but it's likely that those will start to get done in rapid succession.
Non-QB veterans will report next Tuesday.
On Sunday, there was a coordinated effort by players around the league to express their concerns with the NFL's lack of a clear safety plan. Big-time stars like Patrick Mahomes, Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, and JJ Watt were among the hundreds of players who took to Twitter with the hashtag #WeWantToPlay.
The players were asking for answers from the league in regards to safety protocols amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Watt outlined a list of things the players were looking for:
Many different Vikings players got involved, including stars like Kirk Cousins and Eric Kendricks.
On Monday, one of those concerns was alleviated with the announcement that the NFL and NFLPA had reached agreement on daily COVID-19 testing for the first two weeks of training camp. Following those two weeks, "the rate of positive tests for those tested – players, coaches and staff who are in close contact with the football team – will be examined and if the rate of positive tests is below 5 percent, testing will move to every other day," per NFL.com.
Still, other issues remain. The league has yet to agree to implement the 21-day conditioning period recommended by its own medical experts. There are also ongoing discussions about the number of preseason games that will be played. The NFL's latest offer reduced the number from two to one, but the NFLPA wants that to go down to zero.
Those discussions will continue going forward, but the official dates for the start of training camp appear to be locked in.
Update: The NFL's latest offer reportedly includes zero preseason games, an opt-out for players, and an 18-day acclimation period before padded practices.
Check out all of our Vikings 2020 season preview content right here.
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