Video: Derek Carr Feels Players' Skills Will Decline Under Rumored Offseason Proposal | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
David Craig New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr doesn't sound like he supports the rumored NFL Players Association proposal that would significantly overhaul the offseason schedule.
Appearing on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast (starts at 11:15 mark), Carr explained he thinks "the skill that it takes to play all of our positions would go down because you have less time on task" if the rumored changes go into effect.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday that the NFLPA was working to finalize a proposal that would eliminate the voluntary offseason programs teams hold during the spring and replace it with a longer training camp ramp-up that would have players reporting sometime between mid-June and early-July.
The proposed overhaul could start as soon as the 2025 season if it were to be approved.
The MMQB's Albert Breer wrote on Wednesday that coaches and front office people around the NFL were "irate" about the proposed change, and that players would likely feel the same way if it were put into practice because it doesn't really afford families, especially those with children in school, much time to plan any time together when everyone is available.
"It's probably in May, then, when the kids are still in school. So now put yourself in their shoes," Breer wrote. "Your family makes a ton of sacrifices to accommodate your job. You have no weekends for half the year. And now, the idea of taking a proper summer vacation is out the window, too."
Teams that hired a new head coach this offseason were permitted to begin offseason workout programs as soon as April 1. Clubs with returning head coaches were allowed to begin their offseason programs on April 15.
Rookie minicamps were held in the first two weeks of May, followed by most teams starting organized team activities on May 20 or 21. Teams are allowed to hold up to 10 OTA practices where they can hold seven-on-seven, nine-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills, but no live contact is permitted. Mandatory minicamps are held in the first two weeks of June.
After mandatory minicamp wraps up, there is nothing on the schedule until training camps begin in late-July.
Talk of overhauling the offseason program comes as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has spoken publicly about the league's desire to expand the regular-season schedule from 17 to 18 games.
When the league expanded the schedule to 17 games prior to the 2021 season, one of the requirements from the NFLPA in the collective bargaining agreement was the combined number of games between the preseason and regular season could not exceed 20.
Even though more time in training camp would seem to give players the opportunity to get acclimated with each other, especially if they are rookies or switched teams during the offseason, there is a chemistry that can get established during minicamps and OTAs that might not be able to be replicated.