NFLPA President JC Tretter: 'We Can't Refit Coronavirus Around Football'

Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter, who also serves as the president of the NFL Players Association, believes everyone in the league will have to be on the same page in order to play the 2020 season. 

Speaking to reporters via conference call Friday, Tretter said the NFL must adjust itself to play amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

"So the idea that this is going to go away with the snap of a finger and you don't have to change, that's not going to fly," he added. "Everything needs to be revamped and refitted to fit coronavirus. We can't refit coronavirus around football." 

Tretter's comments come as the union continues to negotiate with the league about health and safety protocols before teams report to training camps. 

The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain provided details of the NFL's plan for contact tracing, as well as how travel could be handled:

The NFL provided a statement Friday about where things stand after a meeting between all 32 teams:

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the league and the union must have an agreement for safety protocols in place by Monday, when rookies for the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans are scheduled to report to training camp. The players will be required to show up "or face discipline, setting the stage for a potential grievance."

That led to a response from several players on Twitter, including Patrick Mahomes and J.J. Watt:

Tretter has been critical of the NFL's approach to the pandemic throughout the offseason. He wrote an article for the NFLPA website on July 7, stating the league "is unwilling to prioritize player safety and believes that the virus will bend to football."

All 32 teams are still scheduled to begin training camp with rookies and veterans by July 28.

There has been no official announcement about the length of the preseason, though Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported it will "very likely" consist of one game between teams in close proximity to each other to limit the number of clubs traveling by airplane. 

The 2020 regular season is scheduled to begin Sept. 10, with the Texans playing the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.