Photo: Imagn Images

A deluge of news is coming

Rookies began reporting to team facilities on July 21. Quarterbacks and injured players were allowed to report on July 23. All other veterans have a mandatory reporting date of July 28.

Without a full offseason of formal training activities and minicamps, local beat writers were unable to interview players. Empty lockers rooms prevented reports and observations on whether injured and rehabbing players were making progress or participating in workouts. Teams were largely unable to examine their own players. In many cases, the intake physicals to occur this week will be the first time medical personnel will be able to assess player condition since last winter.

Although media will remain limited during training camp, it's likely we'll see four months of reporting condensed into the next 2-3 weeks. Brace yourself for the flood of injury and COVID testing news to come.

COVID planning updates

After much negotiation, the NFL and NFLPA agreed to a number of COVID protocols and strategies over the past week.

Initial Testing Protocol (July 28-31)

All players will report for coronavirus testing in the coming days.

Day 1: First coronavirus test

Day 2: Second coronavirus test

Day 3: Home quarantine with virtual meetings

Day 4: Third coronavirus test

If all three tests are negative, a player will be cleared to enter the team facility. Intake physical exams will be performed on Day 5 and 6 (August 1-2). Players who pass a physical can then begin the strength and conditioning phase of training camp.

Players will continue to be tested daily for two weeks. If a team has fewer than 5% of its players and personnel test positive – a very high threshold – testing frequency will become every other day during the preseason.

More COVID related coverage at Footballguys: What the League Faces in 2020 and What to Expect as Players Report

Training Camp Protocols (August 3 - September 6)

Any player who has two negative coronavirus tests and passes a physical exam is cleared to begin the strength and conditioning phases of training camp.

August 3-11: Strength and conditioning with limited walkthrough periods

August 12-16: Beginning of practice with helmets and shells

August 17 - September 6: Padded practices

Players will have frequent off days during this period with a maximum of 14 padded practices allowed.

Player Opt-Out Deadline

Players must decide by August 3 whether to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns. Those who opt out will not be allowed to return until the 2021 season. Players will be allowed to opt out during the season due to COVID-related illness within their family.

2020 Injured Reserve Rules and COVID-related Exempt List

To support players with illness and provide a roster buffer, the NFL will implement new injured reserve rules and provide exemptions for players diagnosed with COVID.

2020 injured reserve list changes:

• Teams may return an unlimited number of players from injured reserve in 2020
• A player may return to the active roster after three weeks on injured reserve
• Teams have three weeks of practice to decide whether to activate a player designated to return

2020 COVID-related illness list and roster exemptions:

• A player diagnosed with COVID will be placed on a separate exempt list
• Teams will be given a roster exemption after a player with COVID receives medical clearance to return
• Roster exemption for one week if the player was on the exempt list for less than 4 weeks
• Roster exemption for two weeks if the player was on the exempt list for 4+ weeks

Follow up appointments

Deebo Samuel | Fifth metatarsal fixation | Mid-June 2020 | 8-12 weeks | Questionable Week 1

Samuel fractured a bone on the outside of his foot in June. Early recovery estimates were confusing and variable. Some reports suggested Samuel would need as long as four months to recover, a timetable that would be much longer than expected.

During the season, Samuel's surgeon Dr. Robert Anderson aggressively works to clear players within 6-8 weeks. In the offseason, the target return is often closer to 8-12 weeks. Samuel himself endorsed a return date of 10 weeks -- a very reasonable estimate.

A 10-week recovery would put Samuel's return at the last week of August -- two weeks before Week 1.

Expect Samuel to begin camp on the active - PUP list. If his rehabs smoothly, he'll have a chance to come off PUP in late August and recondition while the team evaluates his early-season status. It is unlikely Samuel will start the regular season on PUP unless he has a setback.

Additional analysis on Cam Newton, Ben Roethlisberger, Chris Carson, Jarvis Landry, Evan Engram, and many others from earlier this offseason here.

Sony Michel | Foot surgery | May 2020 | Awaiting Information

Little is known about Michel's foot surgery. Reports suggest it was a "maintenance" procedure to relieve ongoing discomfort but did not include details on what part of the foot was injured or what procedure was performed.

Michel was reportedly cleared to bear weight by mid-June but we're unlikely to be certain whether Michel will be ready for camp conditioning until he arrives at the team facility this week.

INJURED PLAYERS ON ACTIVE ROSTER

Injured Players Not on Active Roster

DECIPHERING THE ALPHABET SOUP OF INJURY LISTS

Players not ready for camp practices are placed on one of two lists – Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) or Non-Football Injury/Illness (NFI).

Physically Unable to Perform (PUP)

Active/PUP – Preseason only list. Once a player participates in any part of a scheduled training camp practice, they are ineligible for this list. Players can be activated from this list at any time. This list is commonly used for veterans still recovering from injury and those who fail conditioning tests before camp begins.

Reserve/PUP – Regular season only list. Players still on Active/PUP at the end of camp are eligible to move to Reserve/PUP. Players cannot practice with the team until after Week 6. Teams then have six weeks to evaluate the player before moving to the active roster or to season-ending injured reserve.

Non-Football Injury / Illness (NFI)

Active/NFI – Preseason only list. Once a player participates in any part of a scheduled training camp practice, they are ineligible for this list. Players can be activated from this list at any time. Only veterans with a non-football related injury or rookies injured before the NFL draft are eligible for this list.

Reserve/NFI – Regular season only list. Players converted from the Active/NFI list to the Reserve/NFI list are out for the entire season.

Injured Reserve – Return Designation

Each NFL team can return two players to the active roster from injured reserve. Teams are not forced to designate this player at the time of the move to injured reserve. Players designated to return can begin practicing six weeks after being placed on injured reserve and are eligible to return to the active roster eight weeks after being placed on injured reserve. This rule allows a team to continually evaluate the rehab and recovery of their injured players and provides roster flexibility should teams have multiple key injuries early in the season.

Inseason injury coverage

Footballguys will again provide comprehensive injury coverage during the regular season.

My writing and podcast schedule will include:

Monday Injury Rounds > Published as soon as complete Sunday night and updated through Tuesday morning, this feature will review all the major injuries from the weekend's games, provide follow up analysis on injured players who have yet to return to play, and project when every injured player will return.

Waiver Wire Podcast > Tuesday morning release reviewing all injuries at the quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end positions with Cecil Lammey and Sigmund Bloom heading into your weekly waiver run.

Midweek Injury Expectations > Published late Wednesday night after the first weekly practice participation report and updated through Thursday's practice report, this feature will detail the current practice participation of every listed player and project the likelihood each player will play in the coming week.

Thursday Live Audible podcast > Joining Cecil Lammey, Sigmund Bloom, and Matt Waldman at 9:00 ET every Thursday night for a comprehensive Q&A updating all player injuries.

Gameday Injury Expectations > Published Saturday, this feature will review the practice status of every injured player, provide analysis on player/coach/beat writer comments throughout the week, and discuss how likely and how effective each injured player will be on Sunday.

Sunday Live Gameday podcast > Joining Sigmund Bloom and Matt Waldman at 10:00 ET every Sunday morning to discuss and interpret the week's practice participation reports and breaking weekend injury news.

Follow me on Twitter @JeneBramel for breaking injury news and analysis.