Cowboys' Mike McCarthy takes firm stance on potential NFL rule change that's caused controversy
Earlier this week, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the league could be moving away from the current league calendar setup that features voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp in May and June before training camp kicks off in late July.To make such an overhaul happen, the NFL Players Association is finalizing a proposal that would instead […]
Earlier this week, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the league could be moving away from the current league calendar setup that features voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp in May and June before training camp kicks off in late July.
To make such an overhaul happen, the NFL Players Association is finalizing a proposal that would instead feature a longer training camp ramp-up with players reporting in mid-June to early-July.
But not everyone is going to be easily onboard with the proposal and that includes Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, who claimed on Thursday that he hopes the change doesn't come to fruition.
What is the NFLPA's actual proposal?
Before we dive into McCarthy's full commentary on the matter, let's review the key elements of the reported proposal from the NFLPA:
Although we don't know much else at the moment, the plan per Pelissero is to completely eliminate voluntary on-field work in the spring. The plan would be for this proposal to start as soon as 2025 with a mid-June to early July start for training camp.
Virtual classroom work would be permitted in the spring, which is noteworthy given coaches' top priority during OTAs tend to be the installs. Additionally, the proposal isn't tied to an 18-game season.
A to Z Sports' own Evan Winter laid out why the proposal is a very good idea from the NFLPA in a recent article:
It's a good idea and it does in fact make sense. Another aspect of the proposal is the new structure would allow players more time to rest up, therefore, they wouldn't miss as many on-field reps. I'm not just talking about players who suffered long-term injuries during the season, either. Players have minor offseason surgeries all the time, at random times. This would help mitigate any potential timeline in which they have to stand on the sideline.
Specifically, this is pure speculation on my end, but this gets implemented as soon as next offseason (2025), if it's passed. All it takes is the flip of a switch, pretty much, in the form of readjusting the calendar. It'll probably make things a lot easier, honestly, in terms of planning and structuring practices and whatnot. It'll also be interesting to see how the online, virtual aspect during Spring is conducted.
Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy is against the proposal
Reports indicates players polled for the proposal are supportive of the idea but what remains to be seen is what NFL teams have to say on the matter. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy was recently asked about whether or not the proposal was better than what goes on now.
"Wow, you asked that with a straight face, that was impressive," McCarthy told reporters during the second week of OTAs. "That’s a hypothetical I hope doesn’t happen. I think any coach would feel that way."
McCarthy has always been famous for being extremely detailed in his installs and I'd bet that's the reason for his take on the future NFLPA proposal. As someone who finished college in a virtual environment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, I can honestly say learning is much tougher when staring at your teacher on a screen rather than being on an actual classroom.
"How they organize it and why they organize it, I'd very curious to see their why," McCarthy added.
Additionally, a big part of OTAs is taking things to the field right after being taught about them in the classroom. Missing that translation could really hurt players' process of learning the game at the NFL level, particularly the young ones.
Ultimately, there are many things to take into account and it's difficult to measure the impact such a rule change would have on the product we see on gamedays. But expect many different takes on the whole thing moving forward.
