FRISCO, Texas – In the midst of an unprecedented training camp, it’s easy to get lost.
With NFL teams taking serious precautions against COVID-19, there have been a dozen different dates to know – from test report days to conditioning and everything in between.
Make no mistake: Friday morning, two full weeks after their report for testing, the Cowboys will be working on their first full practice of 2020.
“I think like everyone – players, coaches, support staff – we are looking forward to Friday for our first full practice,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday.
It’s not that the Cowboys haven’t worked. The past two weeks have been packed with meetings and settlements, not to mention a conditioning program. Part of the NFL and NFLPA return-to-work deal was a period of ramp-up that would allow players to relax after missing the offseason schedule.
In fact, McCarthy said the first few weeks of training camp felt like an accelerated program of the offseason.
“The bodybuilding and conditioning phase has gone really well. We are making progress,” he said. “In a lot of ways that would kind of be the end of an off-season schedule and it’s probably a bit further than we would be, in my experience and awareness of the end of an off-season schedule. . “
Live everything else in this situation, the return to full contact will be done gradually. These early workouts will take place in shells – that is, helmets, shoulder pads and shorts. The NFL is allowing fully padded workouts starting Monday, August 17. So it’s a good bet that we will see the team speed things up next week.
For now, it’s pretty exciting that the Cowboys take to the training ground on Friday.
