NFL expects fans to attend training camps in the summer

There’s a decent chance football fans return to their respective teams’ training camps this coming summer.

Another huge development is in the works as the NFL looks to return to normalcy following a pandemic-impacted 2020 season.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports the league expects fans to return to their teams’ training camp practices. The capacity in which they return, however, would be based on their state and local COVID guidelines.

This all comes in the midst of plans to have full stadiums this year — per Pelissero, 30 teams have been given the green light to open their stadiums at full capacity prior to the preseason, which commences Thursday, Aug. 5 with the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

O’Reilly said the NFL is still finalizing protocols with the NFLPA and camps may look different in terms of proximity to players, autographs, etc. But with plans already in motion to have stadiums at 100% capacity, fans’ return to camp is another big step towards normality.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 25, 2021

Pelissero additionally reports the league will undergo its inaugural unified training camp start, meaning 29 of the 32 teams will report for the first training camp practice Tuesday, July 27.

The only teams that may be reporting earlier than that are the Cowboys, Steelers, and Buccaneers — Dallas and Pittsburgh are taking part in the Hall of Fame Game and Tampa Bay opens up the regular season on Thursday, Sept. 9 after winning Super Bowl 55 back in February.

The #Cowboys and #Steelers can report as early as July 21 because of the hall of fame game. The #Bucs can report July 24 because of a Thursday opener. Players from the other 29 teams are required to report July 27, per the CBA.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 25, 2021

Recently, the NFL added the New York Giants and Jets to the list of teams that plan to open their stadiums at 100% capacity before the beginning of the preseason. MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey will be cleared to open at full capacity this Friday, May 28 — a huge development considering neither team had fans in the stands for any home game during the 2020 campaign.