NFLPA medical director recommends players not engage in voluntary joint practices before training camp

The NFL Players’ Association’s medical director issued a statement on Saturday recommending players not take part in joint workouts before training camp. Numerous players have been conducting such voluntary workouts with teammates at a variety of locations around the country. We’ve seen increases in Covid-19 cases in some states, and so the medical director believes should stick to only individual workouts for now.

On Friday, a player on the San Francisco 49ers roster reportedly tested positive for Covid-19 while engaged in workouts with teammates in Nashville, Tennessee. The players are all being tested while this gets sorted out. Additionally, numerous reports are coming out about players for other teams, in and out of football, testing positive while engaged in group workouts.

Each league has a different protocol for health and safety, but all are informed in part by CDC guidelines. The NFLPA has been working with the NFL to figure out their protocols for training camp. There are rumors the joint medical group will have protocols soon, but for the time being, they want players to be extra cautious.