The New York Giants and New York Jets moved one step closer to returning to the gridiron amid the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday with this announcement from N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy:
UPDATE: Professional sports teams in NJ may return to training and even competition – if their leagues choose to move in that direction. We have been in constant discussions with teams about necessary protocols to protect the health and safety of players, coaches, and personnel.
It’s been a busy Tuesday morning for Murphy, who also announced New Jersey high schools will be allowed to hold in-person graduation ceremonies beginning July 6 as long as they are outside and comply with social distancing.
Murphy telegraphed his sports proclamation last week, when he said if the Giants and Jets hit the field this year at MetLife Stadium, they’ll be likely to be playing without fans in the stands.
“Yeah, I think that’s where we’re headed," he said. “I think that’s probably the right way, the right step. I just don’t see, at least this season, it’s hard for me to see a bunch of people jamming together, sitting crouched up next to each other in the near future.”
Murphy’s announcement Tuesday echoes the one made Sunday by N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo:
"Starting today, all the New York professional sports leagues will be able to begin training camps. ... I believe that sports that can come back without having people in the stadium, without having people in the arena -- do it! Do it! Work out the economics, if you can. We want you up. We want people to be able to watch sports. To the extent people are still staying home, it gives people something to do. It’s a return to normalcy. So we are working and encouraging all sports teams to start their training camps as soon as possible. And we’ll work with them to make sure that can happen.''
Last week, the NFL began gradually reopening facilities. However those belonging to the Giants (Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford) and Jets (Atlantic Health Training Center in Florham Park) remain closed.
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Both teams released statements Tuesday following Murphy’s tweet.
Giants: “We have been in close contact with Gov. Murphy’s staff to comply with the state’s protocols throughout [the pandemic]. With today’s announcement by the governor, we are finalizing our plans to reopen the Quest Diagnostics Training Center. We will continue to have as many employees as possible working remotely. For employees who need to return to work at our facility, we expect to begin that process next week — and we will do so in a systematic and safe way that adheres to the state’s guidelines and NFL protocols.”
Jets: “We are working closely with Gov. Murphy’s office, the league, and our medical staff to establish prudent health and safety measures for our staff and players. Based on those guidelines, we will begin to open our facility using a phased approach — at a time that is the most practical for our operations.”
Following Murphy’s announcement Tuesday, Yahoo Sports reported NFL head coaches might be able to return to team facilities as early as next week, with players potentially following in full-squad minicamps in mid-to-late June.
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Murphy’s declaration would seem to have little impact on the New Jersey Devils. The NHL suspended its season in March and last week, the NHL Players Association proposed returning with a 24-team Stanley Cup Playoffs. That would exclude the Devils, who would be one of seven teams missing the cut.
According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 1.6 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, including more than 360,000 in New Jersey.
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Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.