Clarity is coming soon about whether NFL players will report to training camp and salvage a season.
Sources say the NFL and NFLPA management councils are expected to meet Monday in hopes of agreeing to terms on a return to work.
The players held a call Friday, during which leadership said they would have more answers early next week.
Negotiations and counterproposals between the league and players are happening frequently each week as training camp is a little more than two weeks away.
Players want frequent testing (every day) and no preseason games, while the league wants testing less frequently than the players (like every other day) and two preseason games.
A source told ESPN that players and the league were close on agreeing to working conditions and that momentum for at least some preseason action exists, with a one-game format also being discussed. The source added the players would likely get concessions as a result of preseason play.
But all that has not been finalized yet, and there are other issues to hash out.
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Acclimation period: Players want a slow ramp-up from working out to taking the practice field to avoid unnecessary injuries and to get comfortable in the new working environment.
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Opt-out clauses for players: What happens to a player’s contract if he decides to sit due to COVID-19 concerns, and does he get an accrued season?
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Whether trimming the 90-man training camp rosters to avoid unnecessary contact is the right thing.
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Equipment modifications: Players are lukewarm about wearing masks over their helmet bars, while the NFL has been working with Oakley on a yet-to-be-revealed design.
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Economics: How to share lost revenue, with players knowing they have to take a loss somewhere to offset the lack of fans in the stands, but the league’s offer to place 35% of salaries in escrow is considered a non-starter.
Both sides want camp and want to play, so the goal is to get there and survive the probable initial wave of positive tests, then manage expectations from there.
“Get the 16 games on TV,” a source involved told ESPN. “That’s the main goal.”
If there are fans in the stands, the league standard for all 32 team will be for fans to wear face masks, while the league is hoping teams can have socially distanced fan days inside stadiums for training camp.