NFL Says Only Minicamp Is Mandatory During Offseason Program

Updated On Apr 15, 2021 by Ryan Knuppel

National Football LeagueThe NFL sent out a memo to all NFL franchises on April 14 outlining the list of rules that it wants players to follow during the offseason program.

The memo with the new list of rules was sent out after the NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) failed to come to an agreement on certain aspects.

A lot of these new rules and regulations have been introduced to address the COVID-19 situation and the protocols that players need to follow to protect themselves.

The first phase of the offseason program will run from April 19 to May 14. The players requested for this part of the offseason program to be held virtually and the NFL agreed.

No on field training will be permitted during this period as the NFL wants to focus on educating players about the COVID vaccine.

The NFL is keen on getting players to take the vaccine as soon as possible along with support staff and their families. The vaccines will be rolled out based on how local regulations. The NFL has currently not made it mandatory for players to be vaccinated. The NFLPA is supposed to send across a vaccine related proposal to the NFL outlining what restrictions it wants eased for players and staff who have taken the vaccine.

Phase 2 Program Will Be Voluntarily

The second phase of the offseason program will take place from May 17 to 21 and will be a voluntarily program. Most of this program will also be carried out virtually but during this period, players have the option to engage in on-field training. The post draft minicamps which take place every year will be held during Phase 2.

Phase 3 Program Will Remain The Same

The third phase of the offseason program will take place from May 24 to June 18. This phase of the program will remain the same and consist of the usual 10 days of voluntary OTA work and the mandatory minicamps. NFL teams will be able to carry out their meetings virtually or in-person. Players and camps will have to go through all the required COVID-19 protocols which include contact tracing and the max number of individuals allowed in gatherings.

The NFLPA has pushed for the entire offseason program to be a virtual program similar to last year and has asked players to not attend the in-person meetings that are voluntary during the offseason program.

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Ryan (aka Knup) has been writing sports betting content for over a decade now. He covers anything and everything related to United Stats sports including football, basketball, baseball, golf and more. He has finished first place in several gambling related contests over the years which gives him instant credibility in the betting world. Ryan is a die-hard St. Louis...

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