Bucs, Lions partially reopen facilities, but coaches remain at home

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The Buccaneers and Lions partially reopened their facilities Wednesday to select employees. Both teams’ coaching staffs, though, are continuing to work from home.

The NFL allowed teams to reopen with limited staff May 19 as long as all state and local regulations were met, with coaches allowed back in the office beginning last Friday.

The 49ers remain closed because of a county mandate, and some teams have taken a deliberate approach in returning employees to the building.

“Our plan has been modeled after what has been found to be successful in the health care industry,” Buccaneers director of athlete performance Gregory Skaggs said, via NFL Media. “Measures such as screening, physical distancing, mask wearing, increased hygiene, and a supportive culture. We worked with local medical infectious disease experts to devise a comprehensive plan focused on maintaining the health and safety of our employees and their families.”

Likewise, the Lions had limited employees in Allen Park on Wednesday.

“This is a soft opening, for sure,” Detroit chief of staff Kevin Anderson said. “The purpose of this first group, which internally we refer to as Group A, is really designed for people who can’t work from home physically. If you can work from home successfully like we have been as a team, we’re recommending that.

“Our equipment team and our field crew, their workflow simply requires them to be present in the building. Our equipment staff has been itching to get back in the building. They have pallets upon pallets backed up on the loading docks of equipment and Nike gear that is going to take them several weeks just to organize and unpack and disinfect and label to get lockers ready. That crew is a great example, plus our field crew, of two groups that physically can’t work from home, and that’s the true purpose for this first group returning to the training facility.”