NFL is Considering moving Training Camps around
by Bosun Akinpelu
NFL Considering Moving Training Camps Out of Some State
Now that some states have started to lift their stay-home orders, the NFL is looking into the possibility of moving training camps for teams in states where the restrictions haven’t been lifted to other states where they have.
Even though the season does not begin until September, the NFL offseason has been affected by the spread of the virus, which has forced the NFL and teams to conduct their offseason programs virtually. While the league is looking into moving training camp for some teams, nothing has been written in stone.
In California, which is the home of the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers, and Los Angeles Rams, governor Gavin Newsom recently said that he doesn’t see a path in which California will start the reopening process by September, which will make it impossible for the teams in the state to open up training camp.
In Texas, the reopening phase has already begun. However, the Dallas Cowboys hold their training camp in the City of Oxnard, which is in California.
Even though the NFL is optimistic it will begin its season in September, there are no guarantees that the season will start on time because another wave of the virus could spread across the country due to states that have reopened early.
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the country, has warned against premature reopenings, but does see a potential path to the NFL beginning on-time.
"This is a respiratory virus, so it's going to be spread by shedding [the] virus," Fauci said, via NBCSports. "The problem with virus shedding is that if I have it in my nasopharynx, and it sheds and I wipe my hand against my nose -- now it's on my hand. You see, then I touch my chest or my thigh, then it's on my chest or my thigh for at least a few hours. Sweat as such won't transmit it. But if people are in such close contact as football players are on every single play, then that's the perfect setup for spreading.
"I would think that if there is an infected football player on the field -- a middle linebacker, a tackle, whoever it is -- as soon as they hit the next guy, the chances are that they will be shedding virus all over that person. If you really want to be in a situation where you want to be absolutely certain, you'd test all the players before the game, and you say, 'Those who are infected: Sorry, you're sidelined. Those who are free: Get in there and play.'"
Even though we are still two months away from the start of training camp, don’t be surprised to see some teams make plans to move their camps to other states to avoid falling behind the competition.