As expected, NFL teams will likely carry fewer than 90 players on their rosters when training camps (hopefully) begin next week.
Numerous alterations in regards to the upcoming NFL season have gained steam over the last few days, such as the cancellation of every preseason matchup amid the COVID-19 pandemic. And now, in a move that was generally expected, rosters aren’t likely to carry the usual 90 players when the training camp period starts.
According to a source close to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, leaders of the NFL Players Association have notified players that training-camp rosters are expected to initially carry 80 guys.
In a call with players today, NFLPA leadership said roster sizes are expected to be 80 to start camp, source said. Not a surprise, GMs are working under this assumption.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 21, 2020
This makes a significant amount of sense when you take into consideration how the players will need to socially distance themselves in the locker rooms during this annual period. Not to mention, it’s going to save the league time and money when it comes to COVID-19 testing if fewer players are ultimately on the roster to begin camp.
This week, the NFL and its players association agreed to daily testing for the initial two weeks of training camp. If the rate of positive tests is below 5% after that specific period, the league will scale back to testing every other day. But if the rate is at or above that threshold, daily testing will remain the utilized protocol.
There are a number of different training camp-related aspects the NFL and NFLPA still need to agree upon at this moment. Nonetheless, camps are supposed to open on Tuesday of next week (July 28).
