The long-rumored roster reductions ahead of what will be historically unusual training camps look set to ensue. The NFLPA expects rosters to be reduced from 90-player maximums to 80 by camp, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The NFL has now proposed an 80-player limit for training camp rosters, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano tweets.
The NFL management council, however, has not yet signed off on the reduction, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com adds (on Twitter). Discussions veered toward allowing teams the option of carrying 90 players but classifying 10 as standby players, who would wait to replace someone (likely in the event of a COVID-19 contraction), but the NFLPA wanted more clarity here.
Should the expected 80-man max become reality for this year, it will mean upwards of 300 players will be cut in the coming days in order for teams to move down to the new expected limit. A roster reduction to 80 or 75 players, for the purposes of social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, has been rumored for several weeks.
The NFL agreeing to the NFLPA-preferred zero-preseason-game arrangement lessens the need for 90-man rosters, and Tuesday’s NFLPA call confirmed there will be no exhibition contests this year, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).
Although this will mean fewer jobs, the NFLPA proposed an 80-man roster max earlier this month. With teams’ onsite offseason work being nixed because of the pandemic, rookies are set to have a greater degree of difficulty acclimating to the NFL. While Tuesday’s news will not affect most (if any) 2020 draft choices, rookie UDFAs will likely represent the brunt of the forthcoming cuts. Select players signed to reserve/futures deals last winter stand to be vulnerable as well.
With the in-season workout circuit also set to be heavily impacted by COVID-19, Tuesday’s news promises to be a key point in many players’ careers. Teams do not have to trim their rosters to 53 players until early September, so UDFAs and other bottom-end players would have enjoyed several weeks of work attempting to carve out spots on rosters or practice squads. But the pandemic looks set to change this, which would stand to remove numerous players from teams’ rosters in the next week. Teams are slated to report to training camp July 28.