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NFL Extends Virtual Offseason Through End of May amid COVID-19 Pandemic
May 13, 2020
The NFL's virtual offseason will now continue for two more weeks amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The league had initially reached an agreement with the NFL Players Association to conduct all offseason business remotely through May 15.
The pandemic has presented obvious problems for teams in terms of their preparations for the 2020 season.
They were unable to perform their usual scouting ahead of the NFL draft, and incoming rookies can't work out with their new teammates to build an on-field rapport.
Players are also left on their own to train and make sure they stay in shape, which isn't easy in the context of ensuring an entire roster is aligned on the same general exercise and nutrition regimen.
Training camps don't open until mid-July, which is probably the point at which a virtual offseason begins to become a serious problem. If players are unable to attend training camp, it could present the league with a dilemma with the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 6 as the informal start to the preseason slate.
The NFL released its full regular-season schedule on May 7. Although the league hasn't delayed the start of the season, Sports Business Journal's John Ourand and Ben Fischer reported officials were putting contingencies in place with regard to the schedule in the event it needed to push any games back.
