Roger Goodell Says NFL Plans to Start Training Camp on Time


Rookies and selected players will be allowed to arrive at training camp earlier.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday that the league plans to start training camp on time next month.

Training camp will open on July 28 and rookies and selected players will be allowed to show up earlier. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday night that the NFL and NFLPA reportedly are "still negotiating what camp will look like and how the protocols will be handled" amid the coronavirus pandemic.

On Thursday's conference call, NFL medical director Allen Sills addressed those protocols.

"We're setting up a very ambitious testing program. ...Testing alone will not be sufficient to keep everyone healthy," Sills said

The league is currently planning on starting the 2020 season on time despite the COVID-19 crisis. On Saturday, the NFLPA advised players not to take place in private workouts together until the start of training camps while coronavirus cases rise across the country.

Goodell added on the call that the league plans to "get ready for games at our stadiums and to engage our fans both in stadiums and through our media partners."