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If you were still holding out hope that the Kansas City Chiefs (and the rest of the NFL’s teams) would be able to fit in a minicamp before training camps begin at the end of July, you can now let go of it.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero has reported that the league has officially notified teams there will be no June minicamps, but will allow teams to continue to continue their virtual offseason programs through June 26.
The NFL has notified teams the virtual period for offseason work will be extended through June 26, but there will be no in-person minicamps this month, per sources. Expected, and now official.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 11, 2020
As Pelissero noted, this is exactly what we expected — but it’s now official.
Pelissero also reported that while some teams may choose to continue their programs through the end of June. most teams — including the Chiefs — will not, opting instead to give their players the usual month-long vacation before training camp.
“We have another week left here,” said Chiefs head coach Andy Reid on Wednesday. “Next week. we’ll finish. This week here we’re actually going back through — like you guys know we do — going back through our opponents, AFC West opponents and our first game, which we know now. We’re going to get ourselves ready for camp.”
Exactly when camp will start — or where it will be — remains unknown. There was a report last week that the NFL was planning to require all teams to conduct their training camps at their team facilities, rather than in other locations — but over a week later, the league has not yet made that official.
Another report this week said the league was considering the possibility of opening camps a week or two earlier than the currently-planned July 28 starting date, so that teams could get in some extra conditioning before camp begins in earnest. Then on Wednesday, yet another report said the league is considering reducing the preseason to just two games, which would allow teams to get in their full vacations and still have extra time to prepare.
But so far, no final decision has been made.
“We don’t know exactly what that’s going to represent — going to camp,” Reid said. “We don’t know where we’re going to be or how we’re going to do it and all that. But we’ll keep our ears open — and we’ll be ready to roll.”