On Sunday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo cleared local sports teams to begin training in the state. On Tuesday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy followed suit.
"Professional sports teams in NJ may return to training and even competition - if their leagues choose to move in that direction," Murphy said in a statement. "We have been in constant discussions with teams about necessary protocols to protect the health and safety of players, coaches, and personnel."
The above gives the Jets and Giants clearance to open their facilities under the NFL's protocol, meaning limited business/front office staff can return. It also means the Devils can open their facilities, but they are not expected to be part of the NHL's 24-team return.
"We are working closely with Governor Murphy's office, the league and our medical staff to establish prudent, health and safety measures for our staff and players," a Jets spokesperson said. "Based on those guidelines, we will begin to open our facility using a phased approach at a time that is the most practical for our operations."
The Giants added: "Governor Murphy and his administration continue to guide New Jerseyans through this very difficult time. We have been in close contact with Governor Murphy's staff to comply with the state's protocols throughout. With today's announcement by the governor, we are finalizing our plans to reopen the Quest Diagnostics Training Center. We will continue to have as many employees as possible working remotely. For employees who need to return to work at our facility, we expect to begin that process next week, and we will do so in a systematic and safe way that adheres to the state's guidelines and NFL protocols."
Players and coaches are still not allowed at NFL facilities except in the cases of players receiving treatment, but the league is expected to allow coaches to return when every team's home state allows larger groups to return.
The memo from commissioner Roger Goodell dated May 15 stated that "Clubs must promptly report any incidence of Covid-19 in the facility" to NFL doctors, adding that he expected "additional staff, likely including coaching staff, will be allowed to return to club facilities in a relatively short time."
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, NFL teams have been having virtual offseason programs.
The league announced its 2020 preseason and regular season schedules earlier this month, with the expectation that those games would have fans in attendance.
However, with MLB, the NBA, and the NHL all planning to resume their seasons this summer without fans in attendance, the NFL will remain flexible when it comes to whether fans are permitted to attend games.