There was still hope that the San Francisco 49ers and the rest of the NFL would be able to fit minicamp in before training camp arrives July 28. That hope was lost as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the league has officially notified teams there will be no June minicamps. Teams will continue to their virtual offseason programs through June 26. This was expected, but now it’s official.
Additionally, Pelissero said that some teams might choose to continue their programs through the end of June, but most teams will opt to give their players the typical month-long vacation before training camp. There has been a lot of talk about how the NFL will handle the preseason. We’ve seen reports saying the league is considering reducing the preseason to just two games, which many appear to favor. We’ve also seen reports saying the league is considering the possibility of opening up training camp a week or two earlier than the current July 28 starting date as an extra conditioning/”ramp-up” period for the lost time from OTAs and minicamp.
Richard Sherman has mixed feelings on a shortened preseason:
I think it’s a mixed bag because you want younger guys to get a good opportunity and get some real preseason action and not have their first NFL reps be live bullets. There’s also a safety aspect as there weren’t OTAs and no minicamp. With everything closed, you have to go under the assumption that they didn’t have adequate training facilities. Obviously, guys are going to be pros and find ways to get it done. It’s not reasonable to expect them to be training at facilities you would need to compete at the NFL level. There will be a ramp-up period, and we’re still in discussions about that. I have no real problems with us having limited preseason games. I don’t play in a ton of them as is, but there are some of us who need to go out there and get some reps before the real thing happens.
Is there any non-player that wants to watch four games during the preseason?