JC Tretter warns NFL players may be in bad shape when camps open

One storyline that will be worth watching when NFL training camps open up is what kind of shape the players will be in when they report.

Due to the lack of OTAs and minicamps around the league this offseason, players have had to adapt and train by themselves without the in-person guidance of coaches and trainers. Cleveland Browns center and NFLPA president J.C. Tretter thinks that will lead to players showing up in poor condition — in his estimation, even worse than things were in 2011, when a lockout wiped out all offseason activities.

Tretter says this doesn't compare to ramp-up period post-lockout in 2011. "Coming out of the lockout, you could go to any private gym and get in shape." Can't do that this time. He thinks players likely will be in worse shape than they were in July 2011.

— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) July 17, 2020

This certainly bears watching. With camp poised to begin on schedule, teams and players could be wary of more injuries than normal, and a need to go a bit slower than usual with camp activities to allow players to get up to speed physically.

While many teams have put together virtual fitness regimens for players to follow, it’s no substitute for the typical things players would do in the gym to keep themselves in shape. It’s just another wrinkle that will make preparing for this season very unusual.