The Las Vegas Raiders and teams across the league are about to begin their 2020 training camp, although there will be plenty of hurdles to overcome this year due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Before players hit the field, they must go through three days of testing and quarantine, with all results coming back negative. The Raiders’ quarterback group and rookies have gone through that, while the rest of the team is currently in that process.
Additionally, the Raiders have already had to move their training camp from Napa to their new practice facility in Henderson after the league mandated them to do so.
It is clear that training camp and getting ready for the 2020 season will present some challenges, and Raiders head coach Jon Gruden discussed just how difficult it will be in an interview with Vic Tafur of The Athletic:
“It’s a whole new ballgame right now,” Gruden said. “We have a new city, a new facility, a new team, new rules … I finally get to meet some of the veteran players (Tuesday). We had about 60 minutes of walk-through with the rookies (Monday) and that’s all the contact I’ve had, other than a bunch of Zoom meetings. …
“It’s tough. It’s a tough, tough, tough job right now — and it’s not just football. Humanity is a big part of this, you know what I am saying? Your team, your family, your fans, the city of Las Vegas, the world — you worry about everybody. There is no answer for this. … There are safety measures that we’re trying to use, but it’s unprecedented territory for you and me and everybody else.”
Not only will teams have less practice time, but they also won’t have any preseason games this year to get ready for Week 1. While Gruden is not happy about that, he understands why it needs to happen:
“Given our circumstances, what are we supposed to do?” Gruden said. “No coach wants to skip offseason practices or not have at least one preseason game, but you have to be thankful that we just have an opportunity to field a team and give it our best to have a season. You have to have a much bigger perspective than worrying about things like the preseason right now.”
MLB is only in the first week of its season and they have already had their first coronavirus outbreak, so it is hard to imagine the NFL not having an outbreak of their own at some point in 2020 considering the sport they are playing.
Also, with the season not being played in a bubble like the NBA or MLS, it is hard to keep track of what players do when they are away from the field. Raiders owner Mark Davis recently questioned why there is no bubble if they want to ensure player safety.
It is clear that the 2020 season will be played under unique circumstances, so while the Raiders ideally want to get back to the postseason, keeping everyone healthy and safe will remain their highest priority all year.
