12 teams begin virtual offseason programs today

Twelve teams are beginning their virtual offseason programs today, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday.

The Bills, Bears, Browns, Chargers, Chiefs, Colts, Cowboys, Falcons, Giants, Panthers, Patriots and Redskins are beginning their programs today. The rest of the teams will begin in a week.

It was announced a week prior that the NFL and NFL Players Association had agreed on an offseason program amid the COVID-19 pandemic with an agreement on the voluntary program that began today. The program is strictly virtual with on-field work only allowed when all 32 club facilities can reopen.

The virtual period will consist of three straight weeks that include classroom instruction, workouts and non-football educational programs that use videoconferencing.

Of the dozen teams who chose to begin their virtual period on Monday, only three -- the Bills, Colts and Patriots -- will hold workouts, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported. The remaining nine will do classroom work, but no physical training.

Pelissero added that the quintet of teams under new head coaches will take advantage of the virtual voluntary veteran minicamp. For the Browns, Giants, Panthers and Redskins, they will run theirs from May 11-13, while the Cowboys will go from May 12-14.

Three days before the first-ever completely virtual NFL draft commences, 12 NFL teams have begun the first virtual offseason.