Lions head coach Matt Patricia said toward the end of last month that the team wasn’t in any hurry to get back into their facility and there wasn’t much reason for them to be hurrying because Michigan still had many closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Lions can now start to think about when they’d like to reopen their facility if they’re so inclined. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order on Monday loosening many restrictions and allowing for the resumption of activities at many businesses. It also allowed for the resumption of sporting events.
Per the order, outdoor sports practices and games can take place as long as individuals on the field and in the stands are able to practice social distancing. Crowds for outdoor events are capped at 100 people for the time being, so the current restrictions don’t necessarily lend themselves to an NFL practice or game environment.
While the Lions would be able to practice under such guidelines, there’s no reason to think this will make in-person activities any likelier before the end of offseason activities. All NFL teams will need to be able to access their facilities in order for such work to happen and the Lions were not the only team to do so.