By Melody Miller
NFL Players Association president JC Tretter wants to the eliminate offseason practices, including minicamp and organized team activities, citing the NFL’s relative quality of play during the 2020 pandemic-influenced season.
“I believe the changes implemented this season have demonstrated that we can put an entertaining product out on the field while further reducing wear and tear on our players’ bodies,” the Cleveland Browns center wrote in a newsletter. “There is no reason for us to ever return to the previous offseason program.”
The coronavirus pandemic eliminated the NFL offseason program this year, as teams leaned on virtual meetings instead. Rather than leading to a sloppy and injury-filled season, Tretter wrote, “Our collective level of play across the league has actually never been higher.” As evidence, he pointed to a record-setting number of points through 16 weeks of play, lower penalty numbers and fewer missed tackles.
