New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is opening the door for professional teams in the state to return to training, including the Jets and Giants.
Just two days after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that professional sports teams could return to training in the Empire State, New Jersey is following suit. On Tuesday, Governor Phil Murphy announced that teams could come back to the state if they follow the proper safety guidelines.
“Professional sports teams in NJ may return to training and even competition – if their leagues choose to move in that direction,” Gov. Murphy said in a tweet. “We have been in constant discussions with teams about necessary protocols to protect the health and safety of players, coaches, and personnel.”
Of course, the two biggest professional teams in New Jersey are actually “New York” squads. The New York Jets and New York Giants might not have Jersey in their name, but they are both residents of the Garden State.
This is another step towards the return of live sports. Although the NFL season doesn’t start until September, this decision will give the Jets and Giants the opportunity to hold offseason activities and training camp. In fact, the Jets are already in communication with Gov. Murphy in regards to safety procedures going forward.
“(The Jets are working) to establish prudent, health and safety measures for our staff and players. Based on those guidelines, we will begin to open our facility using a phased approach at a time that is most practical for our operations,” a team spokesman told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The New Jersey Devils are the other area team that could be affected by this, but at the moment, it looks like the NHL is going to restart the 2019-20 season by jumping straight into a 24-team playoff format. The Devils will be on the outside looking in. The 76ers make their home in Philadelphia, but the team’s practice facility is located in Camden, NJ.
Although the country is still dealing with significant problems from COVID-19, Gov. Murphy’s decision is another sign that we are moving in the right direction.
