Report: NFL, NFLPA Have Yet to Agree on Training Camp Report Date Amid COVID-19

The National Football League and the NFL Players Association reportedly haven't reached an agreement on the start date for training camp or the testing protocols before players arrive at their teams' home cities.

ESPN's Dianna Russini reported the update Friday after the league informed teams on June 25 it was planning to move forward with camp as scheduled on July 28 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported Friday the sides haven't agreed on the number of preseason games, testing standards once teams restart in-person activities or the economics of a season that's likely to feature an extremely limited number of fans in attendance or none at all.

As the extended fight between MLB and its Players Association illustrated, coming to terms on the financial side of things isn't easy. Owners want to protect themselves from losses associated with likely empty stadiums, and players don't want to make significant concessions while risking their health to play.

To that end, the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported NFL teams requested to keep 35 percent of players' pay in escrow to manage short-term costs for 2020, and the union quickly shot the idea down.

"Basically, we told them to kick rocks," NFLPA executive Don Davis said.

Meanwhile, ESPN's Kevin Seifert reported the league decided to reduce the preseason from four games to two, though that hasn't been officially announced. The Players Association board voted to play no exhibition games before the start of the regular season.

That's a number of significant issues to agree on if camp is still going to open in 17 days.

While eliminating the preseason would give the sides more wiggle room, the scheduled start of the regular season is now less than two months away. The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are slated to host the Houston Texans to open Week 1 on Sept. 10.

New York Giants offensive lineman Nate Solder, a member of the NFLPA board of player representatives, provided his view on the tenuous situation on Twitter:

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in May the league was "prepared to make adjustments as necessary" to the schedule to make sure the 2020 season happens, but the sides must agree on several key sticking points before that even comes into play.