Hours after agreeing upon daily COVID-19 testing protocols to open training camp, the NFL is reportedly set to offer a new concession to the NFLPA in an attempt to square things away ahead of the season.
Here’s Ian Rapoport with the report:
Per source, the league today offered the union zero preseason games. A big step.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 20, 2020
The NFL has reportedly offered to axe all four preseason games. Hey, maybe Robert Griffin III was onto something!
Previously, the league trimmed the preseason from four games to two. And that felt like a significant move. But since then, the NFLPA recommended a summer with no preseason games. As part of that proposal, the NFLPA offered up ideas as to how to proceed with the ramp-up process for a regular season without exhibitions. Should the players accept the offer, it would represent a major step in a positive direction for them and the league as the sides work toward getting the details ironed out for a 2020 season.
So, months after Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy saw the error of his ways and was ready to commit to playing his regulars throughout the preseason, there is a real possibility that no preseason games will be played. Go figure.
No exhibition season would be a bit of a bitter pill to swallow. After all, the team was looking forward to using the preseason to see whether Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles would emerge from the QB derby. Elsewhere, the preseason could have gone a long way toward sorting out position battles at right guard, cornerback, and safety. Beyond that, fringe players in depth roles tend to use these games to make a name for themselves. This isn’t to say those jobs can’t be earned without preseason exhibitions, but the evaluation process could be more difficult for the coaches and front office without them.
Then again, perhaps the best way to figure out the quarterback competition isn’t to put Trubisky and Foles against Broncos and Browns. Instead, maybe the best way to determine a winner would be to go with who performs best against Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Eddie Jackson, and the rest of the Bears defense. Just a thought.
For more from Rapoport on progress being made by the NFL and NFLPA, check out the video embedded below:
From @NFLTotalAccess earlier: More on the optimism of the negotiations between the NFL and NFLPA, with some key economic issues coming into focus. And now, no preseason games… pic.twitter.com/zMxhCU2ZzS
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 20, 2020