In an effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus, NFL teams are likely to bring fewer than the 90 regular players they normally bring to training camp each time it starts, according to league sources.
One source said he believed the teams are likely to go to camp with a list of 80 men, and another source said that “they are definitely not 90.” A third-league source said he “has heard a lot of discussion about potentially 75 players instead of 90,” especially with the reduction in preseason games and teams that don’t need as many players for camp as usual.
There are also increasing questions from league sources about whether the camp can start on time with the number of coronavirus cases across the country.
The NFL is also considering expanding its practice squads to 16-20 players in the event of a coronavirus outbreak; If there was one, teams would have a deeper pool of players to activate to play.
But the league and the NFLPA are trying to determine the correct number of players each team can bring to camp, and that appears to be between 75 or 80. A plan that is further discussed is to divide the roster into two groups and have each Practice at a different time, no matter how many players are allowed to show up at camp.
Again, the questions persist regarding the protocols, and they will not go away anytime soon. But in an abnormal year, the league decides what abnormal measures it needs to take to combat a pandemic.
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