NFL gives go-ahead to teams for off-site training camp
May 8—The Kansas City Chiefs are one step closer to returning to St. Joseph for training camp in July.
In a memo obtained by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero on Friday, the league informed teams they will be allowed to conduct training camp away from their team facilities if they so choose, but must prepare and submit a full infectious disease emergency response plan to the league. The plan must document how the club will comply with COVID-19 protocols.
On Saturday, Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt expressed the team's hope to return to Missouri Western State University if given approval.
"Our hope and our mindset is that we will be in St. Joe for camp this year," Hunt said. "That is something that the NFL has still not made a decision on. I know they'll have to have some discussions with the union on the protocols that will be surrounding camp, so we probably won't know here for a month-plus. But we certainly want to be back up in St. Joe."
The Chiefs held training camp on the campus of Missouri Western from 2010 through 2019, even agreeing to a new deal last February to keep camp in St. Joe through 2022. The new contract could extend to as much as five years.
Hunt also added that if the Chiefs are approved to return to St. Joe without fans, the organization would still welcome a return to their offseason site at Missouri Western. It's unclear what rules will be put in place given Roger Goodell's confidence and hope to have full stadiums for the NFL season this fall.
The league also informed clubs it is not permitting mixed gatherings of players and coaches outside of the club facility during the offseason program. The NFL is allowing vaccinated staff members to gather with other vaccinated staff members outside of the facility, with the same relaxation of rules applying to vaccinated players. Staffers and players are still not permitted to gather.
Brandon Zenner can be reached at brandon.zenner@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowZenner.
