The NFL and its players agreed Tuesday to cancel the league’s preseason schedule this year as they prepare for the next regular season amid the new coronavirus outbreak.
The NFL Players Association, along with the team owners, agreed to remove all of the 2020 preseason and also chose to reduce the size of the training camp rosters, USA Today reported.
Union leaders briefed the players on the decision during a conference call Tuesday night.
THE NFL EXPECTS TO SPEND $ 75M ON CORONAVIRUS TESTS, REPORT SAYS
The NFL made an offer Monday to eliminate all preseason games after the Players Association sought to eliminate them.
The annual Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, which normally begins the preseason, was already scrapped in late June. The Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers were scheduled to meet in that game on August 6.
The owners initially wanted to cut the preseason from four games to two, but the players opposed that plan.
The union expressed concern about possible coronavirus risks related to any unnecessary travel, given the ongoing pandemic, according to USA Today.
Also this week, the New York Jets and New York Giants said they would play local fanless games this season at MetLife Stadium, to meet New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s crackdown on the coronavirus at large public gatherings. Some other teams, like the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars, plan to admit a limited number of fans to their home games.
The league also said it expected to spend about $ 75 million on COVID-19 testing for players and other staff this season.
BioReference Laboratories will charge a flat fee covering up to 120 tests per kit per day, with additional tests available at $ 125 each, ProFootballTalk reported Monday.
Teams will pay 1/32 of the total fee, and will pay individually for any additional tests that players require.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Earlier Monday, the league said players will be screened daily for coronavirus for at least the first two weeks of training camp, according to the league’s new testing protocols.
Daniel Canova of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this story.
