Report: Chiefs, Texans to Report to Camp on Time Despite Ongoing COVID-19 Talks
July 17, 2020
Both the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans are expecting players to report to training camp on July 20 despite the fact that there isn't a deal between the NFL and NFLPA laying out COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
NFL Network analysts Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero tweeted the news on Thursday evening.
According to Pelissero, players are required to report to camp or face potential team discipline that could lead to a grievance from the NFLPA if a deal isn't reached by Monday.
Though practices will officially open July 28, rookies and quarterbacks are expected to arrive Monday to begin COVID-19 testing ahead of initial training sessions.
Earlier on Thursday, Texans star J.J. Watt tweeted a list of unanswered questions the NFLPA is still waiting on as they work toward a deal. Among the most noteworthy are the lack of a "valid" infectious disease emergency response plan, whether there will be daily testing and how the ramp-up period will work at training camps.
Only one of the union's questions was seemingly answered Thursday. ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio reported league owners are expected to vote on an amendment to the injured reserve list that would require players who test positive for the coronavirus to be placed on IR for three weeks.
While on IR, players would continue to receive their normal salaries under the proposal. It's unknown what the protocol would be if a player is not medically cleared to return after three weeks.
The 2020 NFL season is scheduled to kick off September 10 with a matchup between the Texans and Chiefs.
Fans are not expected to be allowed at training camp this season. Teams will need to work within local and federal guidelines to allow fans in stadiums once games begin.