With the news in the past week that the governors of New York, New Jersey and California are giving pro teams in their respective states to return to work, the NFL is inching closer to actually having minicamps this offseason.
Currently, all NFL teams are permitted to have staff at their facilities, but coaches and players are not allowed while we continue to reopen the nation following the coronavirus outbreak. The reopening phase has been for support staff and front office employees only.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has repeatedly said he will not permit some teams to have their facilities open to players when others cannot due to restrictions placed on them based on their location.
New York and New Jersey, home to three of the league's 32 teams, were considered two of the main sticking points in any reopening plan. Those two states, particularly in the greater New York City metropolitan area, have been hit hard during the viral outbreak.
California had not been hit quite as hard, but had been on complete shutdown as Gov. Gavin Newsom repeatedly said he did not see pro sports teams playing in the state this calendar year. But Newsom said earlier this week, he could see sports being played as early as June. California is home to three NFL teams.
That's good news to NFL teams, which have been limited to holding their Offseason Training Programs virtually.
Per Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com Sports, the NFL could allow its coaching staffs to return to team facilities as soon as next week, with a target date of mid-June for some type of league-wide minicamp.
Exactly how those type of camps would be conducted and how players, many of whom are currently spread across the country, would safely be permitted to travel and then be lodged remains to be seen. Typically, teams will put young players up at a hotel or other similar setup until they can find lodging.
The mid-to-late June date for the start of minicamp is later than usual, but given the fact that, as of last week, teams weren't expecting any kind of offseason program, they'll take it.
The Steelers are scheduled to play their first preseason game Aug. 6 in the Hall of Fame game against the Cowboys. As such, they are permitted to open their training camp sometime around July 23.
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