Report: Tom Brady Urges NFL Players to Have 'Very Intense Negotiations' About Camp
May 7, 2021
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady called on the NFL Players Association to push for a modified offseason workout schedule.
Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Brady urged his fellow players to have "very intense negotiations" with owners during a call with the NFLPA on Friday.
Tom Pelissero @TomPelisseroPart of Tom Brady’s message to all players today: The NFL is the only pro sport with “overly competitive” drills during the offseason, and the all-virtual 2020 offseason showed there’s a better way. “There’s no f---ing pro baseball player that’s throwing 95 mph in mid-December.”
Players on several teams throughout the NFL have already said they won't take part in voluntary workouts as the union continues to negotiate with owners on offseason protocols.
Per Bryan DeArdo, Jeff Kerr and Jared Dubin of CBS Sports, 21 of 32 teams have issued statements through the NFLPA announcing they won't participate in voluntary offseason workouts.
Pelissero previously reported on April 13 that NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith and president JC Tretter recommended to all players they not attend voluntary workouts because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Per NFL.com, the voluntary portion of the NFL's offseason schedule began with Phase 1 from April 19-May 14. Phase 2 runs from May 17-21 with on-field workouts. Phase 3 (May 24-June 18) consists of in-person meetings and teams are permitted to hold 10 days of organized team activities with no live contact permitted.
Last year, as a result of the pandemic, voluntary workouts and the preseason were canceled by the NFL. Teams reported to training camp in late July to undergo COVID-19 testing, followed by an acclimation and ramp-up period before contact drills began in mid-August.
The NFL has yet to announce the training camp or preseason schedules for this season.
