NFLPA Medical Director Says Players Should Stop Practicing in Groups and That Sounds Bad

On Saturday afternoon, the NFL Players Association released a statement from medical director Dr. Thom Mayer that has thrown off the balance of the entire football world.

In Mayer's message, as posted to the NFLPA's Twitter account, he urges players not to conduct any sort of private workouts with others present.

Like... none? As in zero? That could be an issue.

This is definitely not a positive development for those NFL players who have made special arrangements to train with their teammates despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. With many team facilities unavailable, players had to get creative.

Now, it's more or less back to square one.

As many states have eased their coronavirus lockdown restrictions on sports-related activities, large numbers of NFL players have gone to any venue possible in order to get in some practice. This includes Tom Brady, who got permission to train with other Buccaneers' players at a local Tampa high school.

Many in the NFL community have viewed the players being able to conduct small workouts with each other as a sign that professional football will continue to progress to a new normal that will at least allow for a season to be played, even if stadiums are totally empty.

Now, with the NFLPA advising that players do not train together after a possible outbreak of the coronavirus within the San Francisco 49ers organization due to players practicing with a teammate who tested positive, a darker shadow has now been cast over the possibility of football in September.

It is no secret that football has the most physical contact involving the most individuals out of all our sports, and it is impossible for players to do their thing in a socially distanced fashion. As a result, players being unable to work out in groups ultimately spells bad news for the league.