The Steelers' veteran players are expected to report to Heinz Field today for the start of the team's training camp.
Great news, right? Sure. It's better than where we were at before.
But just because Ben Roethlisberger, Cam Heyward and company are reporting for duty doesn't mean we're going to see the Steelers on a field anytime soon.
Per the rules agreed to by the NFL and NFLPA, players will report to their team facility and be tested for coronavirus. In this case, instead of reporting to Saint Vincent College, they will report to Heinz Field.
They then will be sent home to isolate. They then will return on Wednesday and be tested again. After that, they will be asked to isolate again and return on Friday for a third test.
If the player passes that third test, he will then be permitted into the building Saturday and Sunday to be given a physical and receive his equipment.
📍 Heinz Field@_BigBen7 | @rell_island6 | @benny_snell pic.twitter.com/hbRSiUbFxq
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) July 28, 2020
After those first three tests, players will be tested every day for the following two weeks. If the team's positive tests are under five percent and remain under five percent -- essentially four players -- after two weeks, testing will go to every other day for the remainder of training camp.
As for on-field padded practices, those won't take place until Aug. 17. From Aug. 3 through 11, players will undertake an acclimation period, which will essentially be the early portion of OTAs. Players will work on conditioning for 60 minutes and also get 60 minutes in the weight room under team supervision.
Teams also can have a 60-minute walkthrough on each of the first four days of the sessions, then increase to 75 minutes for the final four days. All teams will be off Aug. 8 for mandatory day off.
Aug. 12 through 16, teams can begin practices daily in shorts, with Aug. 15 being a mandatory day off. Aug. 12 and 13, players can be in helmets. On Aug. 14 and 16, players can be in shells, as well.
From Aug. 17 through Sept. 6, teams can have 14 padded practices, the only padded practices teams can have before final cut downs to 53 players, which is Sat., Sept. 5. Cuts will be made without seeing players in a preseason game. The league has canceled all preseason contests.
Teams can set their 16-man practice squads -- up from the 12 agreed to earlier this year as part of the new CBA -- Sept. 6. But rosters can be expanded to 55 players for game days this season, as two additional players can be added from the practice squad each week and then sent back down without passing through waivers.
Teams are permitted to carry 90 players until Aug. 16. At that point, rosters must be trimmed to 80 players for padded practices.
First-year defensive back Arrion Springs, a player signed out of the XFL, was placed on the Reserve/Covid list Monday, a designation for players who either test positive for coronavirus or are quarantining after coming into contact with someone who has tested positive. Teams are not permitted to disclose which category a player falls into when they are placed on the list.
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