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2020 NFL gameday protocols: What to know about travel, who's allowed on the field and more details

Find out what the league and players association has agreed to when it comes with putting on a football game in 2020.

In an NFL season unlike any other, more changes are in store for players and coaches as the season approaches. CBS Sports obtained gameday protocols, agreed upon by the NFL and NFL Players Association, that the league sent to its clubs Tuesday. These protocols show just how different the day before and day of a game will be for players in this COVID-19 world.

What stands out to me most in these protocols is the necessity for the traveling club to be in the host city at least one day before the game. There had been talk in NFL circles the last few months that the league could reduce unnecessary risk by having teams take buses or short plane trips to nearby cities the day of the game, but these protocols spell out that the visiting team must be in the team hotel the night before.

"Visiting teams will continue with the standard protocol of arriving in the game city the day prior to the game," reads the protocol, "to ensure players, coaches, and Travel Party are isolated within the same lodging facility to administer any applicable screening and testing and allow for requisite gameday preparation (including hydration and rest)."

So the Eagles , 91 miles away from New York, still have to be in town on Saturday night before their Nov. 15 match against the Giants . Cincinnati and Pittsburgh will both likely have to fly the day before their two matchups despite the less-than-two-hour drive. But the Ravens should still be able to bus into FedEx Field from their Baltimore-area hotel the day of the Oct. 4 matchup.

As both teams are required to stay at the team hotel the night before the game, the visiting team will essentially be entirely quarantined at the hotel. No gym, no Uber, no pool, no restaurants. They'll use plastic utensils and have condiments in single-serving packets. There's more:

"All meals must be provided to players and coaches/staff when traveling with the team," reads the protocol. "Self-serve buffet style dining is prohibited; food service with an attendant maintaining appropriate distancing and using appropriate PPE shall be permitted when necessary. Hydration must be provided in individual bottles or single-use cups.

"Clubs should consider providing 'welcome amenities' and/or utilizing private on-site vendors at hotels to provide food and drink in rooms upon arrival in order to minimize trips to public markets. Members of the Traveling Party may order hotel room service or other food directly to the room and may use third-party food delivery services with contactless delivery (e.g., Uber Eats, Grubhub, DoorDash, Postmates)."

On gameday, even stadiums that will permit fans in the stands will not be allowed to have fans near the player entrance. As for the fashion shows we've come accustomed to pregame, only the "Network personnel with field access" will be allowed to film arrivals, and that must be at a distance of 12 or more feet. The recommendation is that robotic or fixed cameras are used in that scenario.

You'd think there wouldn't be any on-field smoke tunnels considering all the restrictions. But that's not necessarily so. There will be no on-field entertainment in terms of cheerleaders, mascots or flag runners this season, but the gameday personnel who set up team introductions can still be allowed so long as the home team includes the employees in their maximum-of-65 gameday workers.

"Setups for Team Introductions are permissible, provided the production elements are set when players are not on the field and broken down following Team Introductions," reads the protocol. "Personnel that cue Team Introductions must be included on a Club's Game Day Personnel list."

Players and coaches aren't required to wear masks, but it's encouraged. Anyone other than a player or coach in the bench area or with field access must wear a face covering. When a player goes into the medical tent for evaluation, he must wear a mask. Practice squad players won't be allowed on the sideline during the game. Staffers will be constantly cleaning benches, and the protocol even states that the "game balls will be cleaned in accordance with guidelines provided by Wilson."

The cameraperson you're used to seeing run into the end zone after a touchdown? That person can't get closer than four yards from the players.

After the game, no media will be allowed into locker rooms, which has long been expected. (And though this is tolerated, the media looks forward to having its locker room rights restored once this pandemic is behind us.) And another big twist: after the game there will be no "fans, family members or other guests ... permitted inside the stadium departure area."

These protocols will definitely be tinkered with throughout the year, but this is generally what all players can expect to start the unprecedented 2020 NFL season.

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How do NFL teams travel during the season?

The National Football League (NFL) is preparing to kick off a new season with current champions the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the Detroit Lions. 

But how do the 32 teams within the NFL travel to games? Ahead of the start of the 18-week season, AeroTime takes a closer look. 

Some teams will cover more than 25,000 miles (40,233 kilometers) during the football season. For example, the Seattle Seahawks are scheduled to travel a whopping 31,600 mi (50,855 km).  

Other teams, like the Cincinnati Bengals, will fare better, with a schedule resulting in a total travel distance of 11,942 mi (19,218 km), making them the team with the fewest miles to cover, according to a chart prepared by Bookies.com.  

The chart does not include the possibility that teams could stack travel when playing back-to-back games within the same region. 

Only two private jets 

Out of all 32 teams, only two, the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals, have their own aircraft. 

The New England Patriots, based near Boston, the United States (US), bought a pair of Boeing 767-300ER aircraft in 2017. The two twin-aisle jets, registered as N225NE and N36NE, were delivered to American Airlines in 1991 before eventually being phased out by the airline in 2016.  

According to ch-aviation data.com, as of May 31, 2016, N36NE had 99,342 Flight Hours (FH) and 15,656 Flight Cycles (FC), while N225NE had 99,267 FHs and 15,902 FCs. 

However, neither of the aircraft joined the Patriots for the NFL preseason games. While one game (versus the Houston Texans) was played at home, images shared by their media team showed the Patriots traveling to Green Bay to play the Packers on a Delta Air Lines aircraft in mid-August 2023. 

Both of the Patriots’ Boeing 767s are operated by Eastern Airlines and are currently undergoing maintenance at Kansas City International Airport (MCI), ch-aviation.com data showed. 

Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals bought a Boeing 777-200ER in 2021. At the time, the team’s owner, Michael Bidwill, said that the ex-Delta Air Lines bird “will not only provide major convenience but also maximum comfort for our players when getting them to and from road games”. 

Now registered as N867DA, the aircraft has been with the team since December 2021. While the Cardinals have played both of their preseason games in Pheonix, Arizona, so far, they will have to travel to Minnesota to face the Vikings on August 26, 2023. 

According to flightradar24.com data, the Boeing 777-200ER moved from Roswell International Air Center Airport (ROW) to San Antonio International Airport (SAT) on June 30, 2023. 

Special-liveried aircraft 

Several airlines over the years have introduced special liveries to commemorate their partnerships with NFL teams or to try to appeal to passengers within those teams’ home markets. 

For example, the New York Jets have a partnership with JetBlue dating back to 2009, when the team named the carrier its official airline. A year later, JetBlue re-assured its commitment to the New York Jets by introducing the “JetGreen” livery, dedicated to the team.  

In 2017, the airline unveiled an updated “JetGreen” livery on an Airbus A320, registered as N746JB.  

Las Vegas Raiders’ colors can also be seen on an Allegiant Airlines Airbus A319, registered as N328NV, introduced in 2021, and a Viva Aerobus Airbus A320, registered as XA-VAK, introduced in 2022.  

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In 2014, Boeing painted one of its Boeing 747-8F aircraft with a special Seattle Seahawks sticker to celebrate the team reaching the Super Bowl. 

According to planespotters.net data, the Seattle Seahawks livery was briefly sported by the aircraft between January and May 2014. 

US Airways, which eventually merged with American Airlines, had several special NFL liveries, including paint jobs dedicated to the Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Carolina Panthers.  

AirTran, which merged with Southwest Airlines in 2014, displayed liveries featuring the Atlanta Falcons, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Indianapolis Colts. 

Nowadays, teams favor wide-body aircraft that are chartered to travel to away games. 

Chartering to games 

NFL entourages are huge. Team rosters alone are filled with 53 players, not to mention the coaching, medical, communications, and technical staff traveling to away games either eight or nine times per single regular season. 

According to a Bleacher Report article from 2016, the Baltimore Ravens traveled with around 185 passengers on a trip. Bob Eller, the team’s then-senior vice president of Operations, told the publication that there were “more people involved in game day” that year than during previous NFL seasons. 

In March 2023, Miami Dolphins published a behind-the-scenes video on YouTube which showed the team’s travel day logistics in partnership with Atlas Air. According to Scott Bullis, the senior director of Team Operations at the Miami Dolphins, the team hands over its schedule to Atlas Air the moment NFL publishes the schedule for the upcoming season in May in an attempt to reserve aircraft beforehand. 

“We travel with approximately 180 passengers on the aircraft, about 69 players, 30 coaches, 70 support staff, and 10 media,” Bullis added. “We load approximately 10,000 pounds [4,535.9 kilograms] underneath the aircraft.”  

The team travels with a specially configured Atlas Air Boeing 747-400, which has more business and first class seats.  

“Normal 747s at Atlas [Air] have 477 seats and this one has 189,” David Mercado, a captain at Atlas Air, explained during the video.

Typically, though, NFL teams will use the services of the large scheduled commercial airlines in the US, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, which have wide-body aircraft to comfortably accommodate large traveling parties. 

For example, the New York Jets flew on United Airlines charter flights during the 2022 season despite JetBlue being the official airline partner for the team.  

Photographs taken when the team were heading to a game against the Denver Broncos in October 2022 show players boarding an aircraft with the old United Airlines livery. This includes an all-white top side of the fuselage with a grey bottom side separated by a golden stripe, as well as an all-blue engine cowling.   

However, all of JetBlue’s engine cowlings have “jetblue.com” written on them, something that cannot be seen in the images. 

When the Green Bay Packers traveled to London to play the New York Giants at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, pictures shared by local Green Bay news site showed that the team chartered a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9 to cross the Atlantic. 

Other teams travel with airlines whose hubs coincide with the teams’ home cities, like Minnesota Vikings and Delta Air Lines, which has a hub at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP). Another example is the Dallas Cowboys traveling with American Airlines to their preseason game in Seattle, with the airline’s main network hub being Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). 

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How many miles will each nfl team travel in 2022, share this article, traveling bands.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

There will be some teams that travel lightly while others will be all over the United States—and the world—during the 2022 NFL season? How do they stack up time zone-wise and mileage-wise? From the least to the most:

(Travel info via  Bill Speros )

32. Pittsburgh Steelers

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Who needs a franchise quarterback when you will travel only 6,442 miles and never leave the Eastern Time Zone?

31. Detroit Lions

Dan Campbell’s bunch catches a break in scheduling with it going through 8 time zones over 17 games and adding 8,348 miles to their body clocks.

30. Baltimore Ravens

Must be something about the AFC North in 2022 as the Ravens will only be outside their time zone twice while hitting the road for 9.500 miles.

29. Cleveland Browns

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

This verse is same as the first two AFC North teams. The Browns will travel through 9,986 miles and also exit the East twice.

28, Chicago Bears

Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

The Monsters of the Midway are fortunate to be in the middle of the USA. While they will hit 8 time zones, it will only carry them through 10,086 miles.

27. Cincinnati Bengals

Make it to the Super Bowl and you are the AFC North team that gets the “harshest” travel itinerary. That means all of fou time zones and 10,836 miles.

26. Tennessee Titans

While Mike Vrabel & Co. will pick up 12,484 miles, they will see their clocks shift 14 times.

25. Washington Commanders

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Make it a dozen time zones and 13,670 miles for Ron Rivera as he attempts to settle on a quarterback through the 2022 season.

24. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have brought on plenty of talent and they will get to know each other on planes for 13,940 miles. How about 10-time zone shifts?

23. Buffalo Bills

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The AFC East champs will hit the road for 13,984 miles. They will clock 10 time zones.

22. Indianapolis Colts

Ezra O. Shaw /Allsport

This one is sort of hard to figure. The Colts have to travel 14,260 miles but will their time zones are a Peyton Manning-like 18.

21. Atlanta Falcons

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Mariota and his new Atlanta teammates are going to journey 15,648 miles and encounter 14 time zones.

20. New York Jets

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Gang Green had quite the draft. The New York Jets are optimistic — as always — after an apparently strong offseason. They will be challenged by 16,154 miles and 14 time zones.

19. Houston Texans

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Lovie Smith and the Houston Texans are going to trek 16,224 miles and 14 times zones over the 17-game season. That gives the first-year head coach in Houston plenty of time to solve problems that have plagued the AFC South squad.

18. Carolina Panthers

(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Matt Rhule needs a big season. Will he stick with Sam Darnold or audible to rookie Matt Corral? The travel schedule is 16,494 miles and 14 time zones.

17. Kansas City Chiefs

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

When you have to play internationally, you expect to see time change plenty. Patrick Mahomes & Co. will travel 16,746 miles and there are 22 time zones on their docket.

16. Los Angeles Rams

(AP Foto/Justin Rex )

The Super Bowl champs top the 17,000-mile mark by 204 and will hit 20 time zones.

15. Green Bay Packers

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay are another team headed to an international game. That accounts for a chunk of the 17,794 miles and 22 times zones.

14. Minnesota Vikings

David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

Like their NFC North counterparts the Green Bay Packers, the Minnesota Vikings get the No. 22 when it comes to time zones but their travel mileage will tick to 18,360 miles.

13. New England Patriots

The Patriots will come close to 19,000 miles in the air as they clock in 56 short of that plateau with 14 time zones.

12. Dallas Cowboys

America’s Team goes for 19,566 miles and 14 time zones. Fourteen seems to be a prevalent number.

11. Arizona Cardinals

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

There is plenty of time to travel when you are based in the desert. Arizona is at the 20 mark for time zones and 19,616 miles up, up and away.

10. New York Giants

A rookie coach will be tested and Brian Daboll’s travel schedule isn’t exactly easy. The Giants go for 22 time zones — yes, there is an international game — and 20,614 miles.

9. Las Vegas Raiders

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

What goes on in Las Vegas, stays in Vegas. The Raiders won’t be able to share much while traveling. The AFC West team notches 26 times zones and 20,734 miles. Josh McDaniels has his hands full with that much time in the air and on the road.

8. San Francisco 49ers

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Will it be Jimmy G or Trey Lance at QB for the Niners, who pile up 20,792 miles and 22 time zones.

7. Los Angeles Chargers

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

How about 30 time zones while traveling 23,266 miles? That is what the LA Chargers face in 2022.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Everybody everywhere wants to see Tom Brady. The Buccaneers have a game in Munich and that is a big slice of the 23,764 miles and 26 time zones.

5. New Orleans Saints

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Jameis Winston, Dennis Allen and the Saints are at the 30 mark when it comes to time zones and nearly 25,000 miles. If you want to be precise, call it 24,976.

4. Miami Dolphins

Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

The Fish will be out of water for 25,178 miles but only 14 time zones, somehow.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

[Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]

2. Denver Broncos

Russell Wilson is going to be on the move whether taking snaps as the Denver QB or traveling to games. The Broncos are at 32 time zones and 27,398 miles.

1. Seattle Seahawks

Pete Carroll no longer has Russell Wilson and he has a huge task in rebuilding Seattle. It will be made tougher by 34 time zones and a league-high 29,446 miles.

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Ever wonder what NFL travel is like? Take a peek behind the scenes with the N.Y. Giants

When Giants rookie running back Eric Gray took his first NFL road trip in August for joint practices and a preseason game in Detroit, he expected to have a roommate in the team hotel — like he had in college.

“We stayed there for a week, and you had 90 guys on the squad then,” Gray said. “I’m thinking everybody’s not going to have their own room with 90 guys, but we did.”

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Gray experienced first-class travel accommodations while playing for college powerhouses Tennessee and Oklahoma. But having his own room on the road was a perk he didn’t experience until he reached the NFL .

“That was pretty sweet,” Gray said.

Every aspect of an NFL road trip is designed to maximize performance and eliminate any of the stresses of commercial travel. For players, the trips, which typically span about 36 hours from start to finish, are an enjoyable part of the NFL experience.

“I love road trips,” wide receiver Parris Campbell said. “It’s always fun, just being in a new city, new environment, trying new food.”

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Planning for the Giants’ nine road games this season began immediately after the schedule was released on May 11. Vice president of team operations Jim Phelan and director of team operations Jeff Conroy led an effort that got input from departments throughout the organization.

Phelan and Conroy need to find a hotel in each road city that can accommodate a traveling party that ranges from 175 to 220 people. They conduct visits to scout potential hotels in cities the team hasn’t played in recently, prioritizing service, the layout and proximity to the stadium and airport.

There are also charter buses to and from the airports in both cities and a chartered plane to fly the players, coaches and other employees to games. And then there’s the 20,000 pounds of equipment packed in trunks and loaded onto the team plane.

While the operations team handles all of those logistics, the players have simpler concerns, such as their pre-flight food on travel days. Rookies are responsible for catering lunch for their position group. Chick-Fil-A, Popeye’s and Wingstop are popular options.

“Before we go to walk-through, the rookies usually DoorDash the food and after walk-through, it’s usually here,” Campbell said. “So everybody is in (the locker room) with plates and eating food, getting ready to get on the bus.”

The team flight typically departs in the early afternoon on Saturday for a Sunday game. Buses pick everyone up at the Giants’ facility in East Rutherford, N.J., and drive them directly to the hangar at Newark Airport where their plane is waiting.

The security process is nothing like commercial passengers waiting in serpentine lines in terminals.

“You have to give your ID to TSA, and TSA randomly selects guys,” Gray said. “So if you get picked, you have to go through a metal detector. They check your bag and you go to the plane. But if you’re not picked, you just go straight to the plane.”

Giants' effort vs. Saints 'not good enough'; DeVito mania vs. 'Linsanity'?

Once on board, players take assigned seats. Like on any flight, first-class seats are the most desirable. There’s an expanded first-class section on the Boeing 767 plane the Giants typically use, so many players are afforded the extra comfortable seats for the flights. Head coach Brian Daboll and the three coordinators also get first-class seats.

“In Indy, all of the players sat in the back of the plane, which was kind of wicked,” said Campbell, who signed with the Giants this offseason after four years with the Colts . “Everybody had their own row, but you still had to snug in. It was bad. When I first got here for our first away game, I was about to go to the back of the plane. Then they were like, ‘No, no, no.’ I was like, ‘OK, say no more.’ It’s a nice perk, for sure.”

There aren’t enough first-class seats for every player, and on the Giants at least, there’s no clear criteria for who gets the coveted seats that fully recline into a bed. Eighth-year veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard said he didn’t upgrade to first class until his second season. He said no rookies got to sit in first-class under his previous three head coaches with the Giants, but Daboll grants some first-year players that privilege.

“It ain’t never been like that on any other team I’ve been on,” Shepard said. “My rookie year I had to sit in the back just like any rookie.”

Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson wasn’t in first class for the Giants’ opener at Tennessee as a rookie last season. But he upgraded for the next road trip and has remained in first class since.

“I was like, ‘Got to keep making plays. Can’t suck now, because then they’re going to move you back,’” Robinson said.

Shepard discovered last season that there are conditions on the first-class status.

“I guess you’ve got to be playing to sit first-class,” Shepard said. “It doesn’t go by seniority, apparently. Because I had a torn ACL, and I decided to travel to the games. I thought I had my original seat, but I was in the back like I was a rookie.”

Players not in first class are typically in the business section. There are two players per row with the middle seat left open. Regardless of where they’re sitting, most players have the same in-flight routine.

“I’m knocked out before the seatbelt sign comes on,” Robinson said.

The Giants don’t fly to every road game. They charter an Amtrak train for games at Washington. With stops eliminated, the trip from Newark Penn Station takes two hours and 25 minutes.

Safety Bobby McCain , who was released by the team last week, unexpectedly got to experience the standard train ride from Newark to Maryland because he was at the hospital getting a cyst treated the day before the Giants’ Week 11 game at Washington. McCain and a trainer took a regular train later that day and met the team at the hotel.

“It was just a few more stops than usual,” McCain said. “It wasn’t that bad, honestly.”

It was McCain’s first time taking a train. He spent the previous two seasons with the Commanders , who flew to games in the Meadowlands.

“The train is cool because you can get up and go walk around,” Shepard said. “They’ve got little areas where everybody could gather. Everybody usually goes to one area and plays cards.”

The Giants take buses to games at Philadelphia. The ride only takes 90 minutes thanks to a police escort, but the cramped confines of a bus aren’t welcomed.

“That’s terrible,” Shepard said. “We get there pretty fast, but still, I don’t like being on the bus.”

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Sterling Shepard (@sterlingshepard)

When players arrive in a road city, they typically get a few hours of freedom. That’s a change from college road trips.

“You can’t leave the hotel in college,” Gray said.

McCain likes to find a mall or park to walk around and “flush the legs from the jetlag.”

Players typically break into small groups for dinner. The CBA mandates that every player gets a $65 per diem for dinner on road trips. Proximity to the hotel is typically a top priority when searching for a restaurant.

“Me, ( Darius Slayton ) and Isaiah (Hodgins) usually go get dinner,” Campbell said. “We always hit the group chat and see what’s around. Nine times out of 10, we try to find a nice steakhouse. If we can’t find one of those, we just look for whatever is fairly close with a high rating and good reviews.”

Team meetings typically start in a hotel ballroom at 7:30 p.m. The meetings are brief final reviews before the game. There’s a special teams meeting, offense/defense meetings and a full-team meeting. Each meeting lasts roughly 15 minutes, so the players are free again around 8:15.

Players often hang around the ballroom, have a snack and watch college football games together. For Campbell, who has two young kids at home, the tranquility provided by a hotel room on the road is savored.

“I like watching movies and shows, so sometimes I use that as my free time,” Campbell said. “I’m just binge-watching a show. I like to relax and have some me time.”

Curfew is typically at 10 p.m. A security guard stationed on each floor makes the rounds to confirm players are in their rooms. Players say it’s exceptionally rare for anyone to miss curfew.

“I’ve got a couple boys in the NBA , and they operate totally different,” Shepard said. “They can be out all night, but we’ve only got so many games.”

McCain missed curfew once as a rookie in 2015 when the Dolphins were playing a game in London. McCain accompanied teammate, and London native, Jay Ajayi to visit family the night before the game.

“We tried to make it back for curfew, but the taxi we took went to the wrong address,” McCain said. “He went like 10 minutes down the road, and we only had like six minutes until curfew. There was traffic so we took off running, but we missed it by like three minutes.”

The Dolphins lost the game in London and head coach Joe Philbin was fired the next day. That spared McCain a fine for breaking curfew.

“We went to our lockers on Tuesday and I was like, ‘Did you get a letter?’ (Ajayi) was like, ‘Nah.’ I was like, ‘Me neither,’” McCain said. “I always appreciate Joe Philbin for not fining me for that.”

The Giants, like all NFL teams, also stay in hotels the night before home games.

“It gets everybody in the same place so they can have tabs on everybody,” Campbell said. “We live right across the water from New York City, so they don’t want you to be in New York City the night before the game.”

Buses depart from the hotel to the stadium at three different times on game day. The first bus typically leaves four hours before kickoff. That bus is mostly for the medical staff and production crew. Shepard is one of a handful of players who takes that bus so he has extra time to warm up.

Most players take the second bus, which departs the hotel three hours before kickoff. The last bus leaves two hours and 15 minutes before kickoff.

“Some guys like to get over there early,” Campbell said. “Some guys like to get there later so they’re not sitting around for a lot of time. It just depends on the guy.”

The Giants return home immediately after a game. There’s a mad scramble in the locker room as Phelan and the equipment staff load everything in the cramped visitors’ locker rooms, with duffel bags full of each player’s gear crowding the floor.

Often, the TSA screening occurs at the stadium before boarding the buses back to the airport. Within an hour of the game ending, the Giants are on the way home.

“Getting home at 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning isn’t fun,” Robinson said. “That’s the only downside of road trips, especially playing on the West Coast.”

Otherwise, there aren’t any complaints about road trips.

“I love playing on the road,” Shepard said. “Traveling is fun, being with the guys. It gives you time to have camaraderie with the guys. It’s probably one of the things I’ll miss the most when I get done playing.”

(Top photo of Sterling Shepard: Matt Swensen / New York Giants)

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Dan Duggan is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the New York Giants. He previously covered the Giants for two years for The Star-Ledger. He has also worked for the Boston Herald. Follow Dan on Twitter @ DDuggan21

NFL approves significant changes to kickoffs, hoping for more returns and better safety

ORLANDO, Fla. – The NFL has adopted a landmark rule change Tuesday to kickoff plays that will take some time for your football eyes to get used to. But the hope is to revive a once-exciting play with more returns and player safety at the forefront.

The rule is designed to increase the number of kickoff returns per game while attempting to make the play safer for players by negating the need to run or defend the length of the field.

More: Here's 5 things to know about the NFL's new kickoff rule

Instead of players trotting onto the field to watch a kicker sail a football into the end zone, special teams players will line up 5 yards apart from each other at the 40- and 35-yard lines and wait until a kick lands or is touched by one of two returners.

What happens next? The returner has a chance to make a move past a wall of defenders, where a straightway to the end zone awaits.

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“What has people spooked about it is the unknown, but that’s what excites me,” said Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell.

“This is going to be must-see TV. It's going to be brand new to everybody,” said New Orleans Saints special teams coach Darren Rizzi, who was instrumental in presenting the rule change to league members during NFL owners meetings this week.

“Whether you like it or don't like it, you're going to watch it.”

What is the new NFL kickoff rule?

• Kickers will kick off from their own 35-yard line. The 10 other players from the kicking team will line up on the opposing team’s 40-yard line.
• The receiving team will have at least nine players line up in the "setup zone" between the 35- and 30-yard lines. Two returners will be stationed in a landing zone, from the 20-yard line to the goal line.
• No players (except the kicker and returners) can move until the ball is received by a returner.
• Returners can return the football wherever it lands.
• A touchback at the 20-yard line would occur if the ball touches the ground or player in the landing zone, rolls beyond the goal line and downed in the end zone.
• A touchback could occur at the 30-yard line if the ball goes out of bounds behind the receiving team’s goal line, if it strikes the goalpost, or lands at or beyond the goal line and downed in the end zone.  

Why is the rule change so important?

The new rule passed with a 29-3 vote. It will be implemented during the 2024 season, and revisited next offseason.

“I think we’re still going to have to tinker with it. But I think it’ll be a big improvement and bring the play back to being a relevant play," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said.

Here are the facts: The NFL reported at least 1,970 touchbacks occurred on 2,698 kickoff plays during the 2023 season, a rate of 21.8 % – a dramatic decline from the 88.7% rate of kickoffs returned in 2003.

“You have 2000 dead plays,” Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “People don't want to see that. Coaches don't want to coach that. Players don't want to play that.”

During Super Bowl 58 earlier this year, there were 13 touchback plays with no action.

“We’re in business of creating an entertaining product, and putting a product on the field that should be competitive in every moment. And we created a play that was no longer competitive,” NFL competition committee chairman Rich McKay said. "Yes, it’s a big change. But the time has come to make that change.”

What will happen to onside kicks and surprise of them?

NFL teams will only be able to declare they want to pursue an onside kick in the fourth quarter of games. They can do it twice, too.

“If you're trailing and want to kick a traditional onside kick, you have that right,” McKay said.

With the players from both sides lining up 5 yards apart, the idea of a surprise onside kick to catch the opposition off-guard will be a thing of the past.

But the NFL suggests “surprise onside kicks” aren’t really part of the game much to begin with: Rizzi notes there were only two attempts in 2023, and four in the last five years. Overall, NFL teams have converted just two of 15 surprise onside kick attempts in recent memory.

How will the NFL adjust to new kickoff rule?

NFL teams wanted to have the kickoff rule implemented before the 2024 NFL draft to properly adjust their rosters before next season.

While some NFL teams have core special team players, the rule change will force every team to account for players they will need to make the most of the new rule.

“I think there’s a lot of things that we learn as we start to figure out schematically how does it affect and influence games," said Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay, who’s on the NFL’s competition committee.

“I think it’s good for the game, and I think all the intentions are in the right direction.”

Campbell says the new kickoff plays offer more chances to impact the games.

“Absolutely in favor of it because it gives us a chance to play special teams,” Campbell said.

“What happened last really, we felt like it took a significant amount of plays out the game, and you can’t make it up anywhere else.”

Added Reid: “It should be exciting and new.”

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2024 NFL Season: Who are the best head coach/quarterback duos in the league?

By lou scataglia | may 10, 2024.

NFL teams must be able to get the head coach and quarterback right if they hope to sustain winning in the league, and these three duos are clearly the best of the best. It's really not much of an argument, either. Without adequate coaching and stellar QB play, teams simply won't win, and it's no coincidence that the most successful NFL teams in recent history had two studs at each spot.

Well, there are some insanely talented head coach /quarterback duos currently in the league. Would these three duos be the best of the best?

2024 NFL Season: Who are the best head coach/quarterback duos in the league? 3. Joe Burrow - Zac Taylor

Making the Super Bowl in 2021 and simply winning a lot of football games, Joe Burrow and Zac Taylor end up being a great duo. Burrow missed a chunk of the 2023 NFL Season with an injury, so we did not get to see Burrow in the postseason. However, across his NFL career, Burrow is credited with a 29-22-1 record in the regular season and a 5-2 record in the playoffs.

When both are together on the field, there aren't many duos better, but OL and defensive inconsistencies here and there have limited the duo's potential together. Burrow also needs to simply stay healthy for an entire season. He's never played a full one during his brief NFL career.

2. Matthew Stafford - Sean McVay

Winning the Super Bowl in 2021, Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay quickly established themselves as a top duo in the NFL. Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay are 24-17 together in the regular season and 4-1 in the playoffs. Matthew Stafford has thrown 86 touchdowns and 39 touchdowns in the regular and postseason with the LA Rams.

They went 10-7 during the 2023 season, perhaps as a surprise, and look poised to make a huge playoff run this coming season. Even with Stafford likely entering the final couple years of his potential Hall of Fame career, it's clear that Stafford and McVay know how to win football games and might not be done just yet.

1. Patrick Mahomes - Andy Reid

Perhaps the most obvious No. 1 choice, Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid have won three Super Bowls over the last five seasons. With a 74-22 regular season record together, Mahomes and Reid have won double-digit games in six-straight seasons, each year Mahomes has been a starter. In the postseason, they're somehow even better.

They're 15-3 in the postseason together, so that gives them a combined record of 89-25, which is just insane. Mahomes is also a first-ballot Hall of Famer, even with his career not even being halfway over. It's the modern-day duo of Belichick/Brady, and their recent back-to-back Super Bowl titles gives them the chance to be the first team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a row.

They are in a tier of their own.

NFL rookie sends head coach's son flying in first practice with new team

Las Vegas Raiders rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson sent a coach flying in his first practice with the team - who happened to be the head coach's son who joined the team this offseason

• 04:00, 14 May 2024

Las Vegas Raiders rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson accidentally flung the head coach's son five yards backwards in his first training session as an NFL player.

Powers-Johnson begun his training with his new teammates, making an immediate impression in blocking drills before one particular incident.

During an offensive line blocking practice, Powers-Johnson did not hold back. Managing to collide with a bag-holding trainer who ended up sprawling five yards back, just about balancing on his feet. The victim of this over-enthusiasm was Deandre Pierce, the son of head coach Antonio Pierce.

Reporters managed to capture the epic moment, which showed Powers-Johnson in full throttle, sending Pierce hurtling backwards. When questioned about the incident at his press conference, the rookie even offered to take the coach out for a meal.

READ MORE: Gisele Bundchen's reaction to Tom Brady roast explains reason why she left NFL legend READ MORE: Marvin Harrison Jr makes jersey number decision for rookie season with Arizona Cardinals

He explained: "I love physicality, I love violence. I think that's how the sport should be played. Putting on just the helmet and getting going, it's exciting. It's been fun getting to get hit a little bit, even if it's a bag or, sorry to that trainer, too. I'll take him out to dinner.", reports the Mirror US .

Regarded as the top center in the draft, the Raiders snapped up Powers-Johnson in the second round with the 44th overall pick - a move that surprised many who saw the former Oregon lineman as a first-round talent.

For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US .

Intriguingly, when the team drafted Powers-Johnson, he was announced as a guard, hinting at a position change from center. This was confirmed when he took up the left guard position during practice, focusing solely on pulling and hitting blockers on the move.

The Raiders ' draft picks this year have earned them much praise, especially their first-round selection of Georgia tight end Brock Bowers - a player seen generational prospect, likened to San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle. Bowers boasts two College Football Playoff national championship titles with the Bulldogs, along with back-to-back John Mackey Awards, given each season to the outstanding college football tight end.

Interestingly, the Raiders' front office did not draft a quarterback, leaving only Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell on the roster with starting experience.

Pierce was promoted to permanent head coach this past offseason after impressing in an interim role - winning over the players, including star pass rusher Maxx Crosby who threatened to leave the team if Pierce wasn't hired.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.

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Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol, bench coach Daniel Descalso ejected from series finale with Brewers

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Michael Siani doubled home the go-ahead run, Paul Goldschmidt homered to break out of his slump and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 and snap a seven-game skid on Sunday.

Goldschmidt had gone 1 of 34 in May until he led off the fifth inning with just his third homer of the season, a drive to center off Bryse Wilson. Goldschmidt also hit a game-tying, two-out RBI single in the sixth against Jared Koenig as the Cardinals erased an early three-run deficit.

The game was tied 3-all in the seventh when St. Louis’ Iván Herrera hit a leadoff single against Elvis Peguero (4-1). Two outs later, Siani doubled off the top of the wall in right-center to bring home Herrera before getting thrown out attempting to reach third.

Siani’s double was his second career extra-base hit and came on his 89th at bat.

St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol and bench coach Daniel Descalso  were ejected  in the third inning after first-base umpire Sean Barber missed a pair of calls that both got overruled after the Cardinals called for replay reviews. One of the reviews came in the bottom of the second, and the other was in the top of the third.

The Cardinals also got a tough call as the Brewers built a 3-0 lead in the first inning when Rhys Hoskins drew a bases-loaded walk on a 3-2 pitch from Miles Mikolas that was ruled to be just high.

After allowing three runs and throwing 42 pitches in the first inning, Mikolas (3-5) needed just 53 more pitches to hold Milwaukee scoreless over the next five frames. JoJo Romero, Andrew Kittredge and Ryan Helsley combined for three innings of scoreless relief.

Helsley worked the ninth for his 12th save in 13 opportunities.

William Contreras, Gary Sánchez and Christian Yelich each had two hits for the Brewers, who were seeking to sweep a four-game series from the Cardinals for just the third time ever. The Brewers had  won their last eight  meetings with the Cardinals dating to last season, which represented their longest winning streak in the history of the rivalry.

Wilson entered the day having allowed one run over 12 innings in his last two starts, but he struggled with control issues Sunday. He struck out one and allowed two runs, five hits and five walks in four innings.

The Cardinals won despite leaving 13 men on base. They went 4 for 35 with runners in scoring position this series, including 2 of 14 on Sunday.

TRAINERS’ ROOM

Cardinals: LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) will have an injection and won’t throw for the next week. Matz last pitched in a game on April 30.

Brewers: RHP Taylor Clarke (right knee) has been sent to Triple-A Nashville for a rehabilitation assignment. Clarke still hasn’t appeared in a game this season.

Cardinals: Begin a three-game road series with the Los Angeles Angels. The scheduled starters for Monday’s opener are LHP Matthew Liberatore (1-1, 3.54 ERA) for the Cardinals and RHP José Soriano (1-4, 4.32) for the Angels.

Brewers: Stay home to start a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Monday’s starting pitchers are RHP Colin Rea (3-0, 3.29) for the Brewers and RHP Mitch Keller (3-3, 4.41) for the Pirates.

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