Seahawks’ preseason opener scheduled for Aug. 13. So here’s when training camp would start
The Seahawks have dates to begin training camp and then preseason games.
Will it happen as scheduled?
Seattle announced its preseason schedule on Tuesday. The first preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders at CenturyLink Field is scheduled for Aug. 13 at 7 p.m.
That, in turn, tells us when to expect training camp to begin.
Per the NFL collective bargaining agreement with its players, training camps can start no earlier than 15 days prior to the first preseason game. Fifteen days before Seattle’s first exhibition is Wednesday, July 29.
That is now the target date for the Seahawks to begin training camp, supposedly at their Virginia Mason Athletic Center along Lake Washington in Renton again.
The rest of the Seahawks’ preseason schedule:
Aug. 22 at Houston at 5 p.m.
Aug. 27 at home against the Los Angeles Chargers at 7 p.m.
Thursday, Sept 3 at Minnesota at 5 p.m.
But as with every other aspect of planning in sports and in life right now, who knows?
The coronavirus pandemic has closed NFL team facilities indefinitely. Tuesday, the Steelers, Cowboys, Cardinals, Colts and Falcons were among the teams to partially reopen their headquarters per what their local authorities currently allow. It’s a phased return of only a maximum of 75 staffers, not coaches or players, for now.
A spokesman for the Seahawks told The News Tribune this week their facility is going to remain closed at least until June 1. The team is complying with Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order and closure of non-essential businesses to contain the COVID-19 virus in Washington through at least May 31 .
“When those orders are lifted and team leadership feels it is appropriate, we will have a phased approach for reopening based on state, local and NFL guidelines,” the Seahawks spokesman said.
Training camp beginning on July 29 would give Seattle the usual 6 1/2 weeks between the start of preseason practices and the first regular season game.
The Seahawks’ opener is scheduled to be at Atlanta Sept. 13.
Coach Pete Carroll has said he strongly feels players need at least that long, six weeks, to prepare safely and properly to play real NFL games. And that’s assuming the normal offseason training and practices with teammates together on the field. That’s not happening this offseason. Organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamps that players usually have in May into June have been canceled. It’s likely the first time they will be on the field together as a team will be for the first day of training camp.
Whenever that ends up being.
“We’re really in the mode of adaptation. ...Everything is kind of fluid and on the move, and you have to be flexible,” Carroll said.
The league has told clubs if team facilities have not reopened during the offseason workout program, teams are allowed to conduct a mandatory virtual minicamp for veteran players. Teams are not required to do these virtual veteran minicamps. They would include online classroom instruction, which the Seahawks have been doing this month with veteran players, and virtual workouts.
“None of us can project what are we working towards,” Carroll said at the end of April. “Are we working towards phase two (of an offseason program)? Are we working towards coming back together? We don’t know. We don’t know about camp or any of that stuff right now.
“We’re just going to keep hope alive and just keep pushing and keep these guys entertained and call on them to be a very big part of what we’re doing.”
Some teams have been looking into the possibility of having training camp outside their home states, in other states with less-restrictive businesses and activities closures—such as West Virginia.
The NFL has been emphasizing the need for equity among all 32 teams in how it re-opens and eventually resumes operations, so as to prevent any competitive imbalance, real or perceived.
Some estimates have been more than 20 teams across the league may be, in theory, permitted to reopen per their states’ current guidelines this week or next. But that leaves about 10 teams, including the Seahawks, unable to.
“We don’t know,” Carroll said. “As somebody said, this is pandemic time, so we’re in a whole new ball game right now, so we have to wait and see.”
The crux of the issue: How much time does Carroll believe NFL players needs to train to be ready, safe and healthy for a real game?
“That’s a really good question because that’s going to be a very big issue,” the coach said. “I know that our guys need six weeks of work to get rolling, and that’s what the league has always allowed us. A couple weeks, then four (preseason) games, it takes a full five, six weeks in camp.
“Without an intense offseason, with competition and guys working against each other and all of that, I don’t know. We’re going to have to just figure it out. We won’t know until after we see the results of what happens. Maybe we’ll start to see things happen, I don’t know.
“There is a certain level of competition and stress you need to be under, to get your body to adapt and be ready for the kind of level of play that the league demands,” he said. “ I don’t know how that’s going to go. I do think it takes you five, six weeks, anyway. And that’s coming off weeks and weeks of an entire offseason.
“I’m hoping it’s not going to be, ‘Let’s get two weeks of work and then let’s start playing NFL games.’ I hope it’s not like that because that’s going to be really challenging on their bodies and it will be almost impossible to figure that you could do it.”
This story was originally published May 19, 2020 at 4:18 PM.
