In the past, NFL minicamps have given undrafted players and trialists a chance to showcase their skills before NFL training camp. But a big change is coming in 2021 that could significantly affect who gets to come.
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the NFL has decided that teams will be limited to a maximum of five tryout players at rookie minicamps next month. That’s a massive cut from the usual dozens of unsigned players that usually get invited to attend.
Pelissero said that the change is due to the continued impact that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the league. He pointed out that last year there weren’t any minicamps at all.
Needless to say, it’s a tough break for potentially thousands of young football players seeking a shot at the NFL. The league is filled with players who likely wouldn’t have gotten a chance if not for those minicamps.
There were no rookie minicamps at all in 2020, so dozens, if not hundreds of unsigned players never got a chance to compete. COVID continues to impact normal football operations, and those opportunities will be limited again this year.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 22, 2021
The NFL is working slowly to get back to a sense of normalcy after the craziness of the 2020 season. 2020 was an unprecedented year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We saw wide receivers starting at quarterback, entire positional groups scratched, multiple games moved around and dozens of players opt out of the season entirely.
In the end though, we got a season.
And now that the pandemic is finally nearing an end, we’re getting closer to how things were.
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