The four San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks will report to the team's facility today, along with rookies and any players rehabbing injuries. The rest of the roster will report on Tuesday, July 28.
Then they will leave for two days.
Don't expect any big features showing players interacting or even speaking with coaches coming out of the 49ers' official site over the next few days. Players are just arriving to undergo COVID-19 testing. Then they will self-quarantine for two days, either at home or the team hotel, and then return for the second round of testing. Should each test return negative, that player will be allowed into the building.
And no, that's not when the fun begins.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport laid out the league's ramp-up training camp schedule, which has been modified to (hopefully) protect players from the pandemic that continues to impact the nation. The first few days will consist of the testing, mentioned above, and physicals.
After that, players will begin strength and conditioning and light walk-throughs until the 12th day of camp before a day off. Then they will finally be able to get on the practice field with their helmets. Players don't even put on pads until the 20th day of camp, so the media and fans aren't really going to see too much until well into August.
What would training camp be like under the NFL's latest ramp-up proposal?
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 21, 2020
— Testing & physicals for 5-6 days
— Strength & conditioning plus walk-throughs thru Day 12.
— Off Day 13
— Ramp up with helmets through Day 18
— Off Day 19
— On the 20th day, the pads go on.
So, different.
That's why the NFL was so agreeable in canceling the preseason. Playing in games—especially ones that don't matter—didn't make sense with the new ramp-up schedule.
Another precaution? Teams will likely have to reduce their rosters before letting players into their buildings. The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) agreed to a proposal to limit rosters to a maximum of 80 players, down from the current limit of 90. It may not seem like a big difference, but 80 players will be easier to manage than 90 as NFL teams make every effort to prevent COVID-19 from sweeping through their buildings.
It will be a very different training camp, but the NFL hopes it will increase the chances of the season starting in early September.
