For the first time in 14 seasons, the Falcons will not allow fans to attend any training camp practices due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Falcons allowed fans into selected practices for the past three seasons and in the previous 11 campaigns have at least held the Friday Night Lights scrimmage with fans.
The NFL and the NFLPA, have been meeting this week with the hopes of setting return to work guidelines. Both sides agreed on having no fans at practices, according to league-owned NFL Media.
The Falcons had the option of hosting two fan events at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with the league protocols. However, the team has elected not to hold any events at the stadium.
The Falcons had been cutting back on allowing fans at training camp practices in Flowery Branch before the pandemic.
The Falcons held eight open practices last season, the fewest among NFC South teams, excluding the Saints. The Panthers had 14 free and open practices with fans, while the Buccaneers had 11. The Saints had 10 open practices in 2018.
Around the league, the Broncos had 19 open practices, more than double what the Falcons had even though they both played in the Aug. 1, 2019, Hall of Fame game.
Last year, the Packers, Colts and Vikings had 16 open practices; Browns, Cowboys, Panthers, Ravens and Steelers had 15; Cardinals and Ravens 14; Chargers 13; Seahawks 12; Giants and Bengals 10; Bears nine; Bills eight (down from 21 in 2014); Rams seven; Jets five; and Eagles had one.
The Falcons are set to report Tuesday, July 28. The entire training camp schedule has not been released.
Also, the NFL and the NFLPA previously agreed not to hold joint practices in 2020. The Falcons were in discussions to hold joint practices with the Dolphins and the Bills before the league closed its facilities in March.
Falcons coach Dan Quinn was open to looking at joint practices after the team’s slow starts the past two seasons. The Falcons started last season 1-7 and were 1-4 to start 2018.
The NFL’s contact rules, instituted in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, call for no live tackling in practice, which makes it difficult to get ready for the season. The Falcons have looked for a way to maximize the live contact.
In the past, the Falcons have used joint practices to help them evaluate their offensive and defensive lines against NFL competition. The team regularly held joint practices under former coach Mike Smith. The Falcons have held joint practices with the Patriots, Bengals, Titans and Jaguars in the past.
With a rebuilding of the offensive line in 2019, the Falcons discussed holding joint practices with another team, but elected not to do so.
For a decade, the Falcons held the wildly successful “Friday Night Lights” scrimmage during training camp.
The scrimmage at high schools — mostly around Gwinnett and Hall counties — was first held during the Jim Mora regime at Grady High on Aug. 8, 2006.
The event was last held at Grayson High School in 2016. It was previously hosted at Parkview, North Gwinnett, Brookwood, Gainesville and Flowery Branch high schools.
The team cited the logistics of opening the new stadium as a reason for not holding the event in 2017.
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