NFLPA has voted for zero preseason games in 2020
Despite the NFL opting for a trimmed down preseason schedule, the NFLPA took it one step farther and voted to eliminate preseason games. While the league believes it’s their right to determine the schedule, “it’s clear that the union and the league are not on the same page with regard to the length of the preseason right now,” Garafolo said during his report on NFL NOW. The NFL is facing a ton of political and internal pressure to cancel the preseason altogether. So the league may ditch preseason games altogether.
Ouch!
Will football fans get their first glimpse of live-action in Week 1 of the Regular Season?
NFLPA laid out a potential four-stage plan
- Physicals for all players upon reporting to camp. This would last three days.
- Followed by 21 days of a strength and conditioning program to prepare the players’ bodies for a return to football activity.
- Followed by OTAs with 10 days of non-contact, non-padded practices.
- Then a 14-day stretch that’s similar to a traditional camp composed of 10 total practices with a maximum of eight padded practices.
This is more than just about Covid-19
This is and isn’t about Covid-19. Yes, safety is far more important than a game, but the players have wanted a shortened preseason for a long time. Players receive per diem pay for preseason games, which is a fraction of their Regular Season pay. This is the perfect time to ‘try out’ no preseason. Like the virtual draft where there weren’t any real disasters if players hit the ground running Week 1, maybe the future is a very limited or no preseason at all?
The players could parlay the ‘success’ of this ‘zero preseason’ into the extra game or two that the owners want in the Regular Season sans the warm-up games. Yes, it would mean extra punishment on the players’ bodies, but instead of getting per diem pay for the abuse, they’d get extra game checks instead.
The other side of the ‘no preseason’ coin
The owners are looking at massive hits to their revenue and an uncertain future for many reasons. So, they might be very motivated to keep the money generated from two preseason games. Of course, they could simply be using this situation, as the NFLPA, to set up for more Regular Season games?
But, it could be that the owners have other concerns. I’m sure though the owners are losing lots of sleep from Covid-19. NFL owners must be terrified about diminished revenue being a reality for more than just the 2020 Season. I’d bet the house with the best pay per head review sites that this is their #1 concern.
So, paying players those per diem checks and getting stadium revenue might be a better deal for the owners.
Phins couldn’t have worse conditions to test their horde of new players
Not seeing the Dolphins in preseason wouldn’t be the end of the world, but it would be an extra level of adversity for this staff. The NFL has cut the preseason games to two and is also considering dropping the Training Camp rosters as well. Add in the possibility of zero preseason games and the Phins couldn’t pick a worse time to have it’s biggest draft class.
Nobody will cry for the Dolphins, though. In fact, I’m sure some are smiling and hoping for the worst. So, Flores has one option: overcome… however, it ends up. But, there’s no denying that this preseason sure does favor veteran rosters and punishes young ones.
The good news is should Miami make something of this season, they are one hell of a resilient team! Go Phins!!!
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