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Associated Press 4y

More than half of NFL coaching staffs not at team facilities

NFL

More than half of the 32 NFL teams will not have their coaching staffs back at their facilities Friday even though the league has approved such returns where local governments allow them.

Clubs with coaches in place at their training complexes were Super Bowl champion Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Houston, Denver, Dallas, Washington, Jacksonville and Atlanta. While entire staffs had not yet returned in many cities on the first day the NFL has allowed it, head coaches such as the Steelers' Mike Tomlin, the Falcons' Dan Quinn, the Broncos' Vic Fangio and the Browns Kevin Stefanski were on hand.

Jaguars coach Doug Marrone went to his office after his team's protest march against inequality and police brutality that went from the stadium to the steps of the local sheriff's department in Jacksonville. No other coaches accompanied him to the team's facility after the march.

Texans coach Bill O'Brien was holding discussions on when his staff would begin joining him at the team facility. New Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy and some of his assistants were at their team complex.

A majority of the Bengals coaching staff returned to the facility Friday, including head coach Zac Taylor. Some coaches were traveling back to Cincinnati.

"We're a people business. Whether that's employees, whether that's the players, whether it's the fans, whether it's the community, everything we focus on is about people," Mike Nikolaus, the Browns' chief human resources officer, said on the team's website.

"We're working with University Hospitals, we're working with what Gov. Mike DeWine is doing, what the public officials are recommending. We're doing everything we can to have a clean, healthy, sanitized facility for people to come in and continue to work."

NFL teams have been performing all their offseason duties virtually since their facilities were closed by commissioner Roger Goodell in late March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The league is taking a slow approach to reopening those team buildings, with the latest step allowing coaching staffs to return. Only players currently rehabilitating injuries are allowed at the complexes.

Many clubs say they plan to have coaches in place next week.

Teams confirming their coaches won't be in their facilities Friday are the Rams, Raiders, Cardinals, Saints, Chargers, Titans, Dolphins, Jets, Giants, Eagles, Lions, Panthers, Vikings, Bears, Ravens, Buccaneers and Colts. Neither the 49ers nor Raiders are allowed back in their facilities in the Bay Area, and with the Raiders moving to Las Vegas, their complex in Henderson, Nevada, is not quite ready for them.

The Saints are working up protocols to allow coaches the choice of working from team offices or home depending on individual circumstances.

Tampa Bay's coaches won't return to the facility until the week of June 15. Several other teams indicated their staffs might not work from their complexes until July.

"You've heard the words 'it's fluid' a thousand times throughout this, but it's fluid," Nikolaus said. "You're getting new information every day, so being able to adapt and being ready for Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, having that playbook ready so when we start getting that new information, we're ready to adapt to that."

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