Reports: NFL, NFLPA still debating COVID-19 protocols

[July 14, 2020]  The NFL and the NFL Players Association held a bargaining session by phone Monday but failed to reach any agreements regarding the upcoming season, multiple media outlets reported.

According to NFL.com, the Monday meeting centered around economic issues with the league's finances likely to take a hit this year amid the coronavirus pandemic. Even if fans are allowed to return to stadiums this fall, the venues likely will be limited to partial capacity.

The sides are set to talk again Tuesday regarding health-and-safety protocols involving the preseason, daily testing, and players opting out of their contracts due to COVID-19, per NFL.com.

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, an NFLPA vice president, tweeted, "Good meeting today with management. We were blunt and honest with them we will not compromise our players health in these discussions."

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio quoted a source saying the Monday discussions went "as expected."

According to ESPN, the players are asking the league to increased its planned every-other-day COVID-19 testing to every day, cut the two still-scheduled preseason games for each team and lengthen the training camp "acclimation period" following an offseason without regular workouts.

The NFL logo is pictured at an event in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., November 30, 2017. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo

The league introduced a new helmet facemask on Monday that features a mouth shield, but ESPN reported that players oppose the new mask.

Training camps are currently scheduled to open July 28. The regular season is set to start with the Houston Texans visiting the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 10.

--Field Level Media

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