The NFL will proceed with the league year as expected despite a growing number of concerns with respect to the 2020 season, per commissioner Roger Goodell.
Goodell said during a Thursday conference call with owners the league also plans to start training camps on time, in late July
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network also reported the league is working on ways to “engage our fans both in stadiums and through our media partners.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on a conference call says the plan is start training camp on time and “get ready for games at our stadiums and to engage our fans both in stadiums and through our media partners.” Talks ongoing with NFLPA to decide the specifics.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 25, 2020
The NFL has not wavered despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affecting various teams in recent weeks. Players on the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys are among recent cases in the NFL, in addition to Denver Broncos defensive back Kareem Jackson.
Wednesday marked the highest single-day total of positive cases in the United States. There seems to be heightened sense of pessimism with respect to the feasibility of a 2020 NFL season.
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott — who himself tested positive — said the conditions have to be just right for players to take the field. New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins also questioned the rationale behind returning during the pandemic, noting football is a “non-essential business.”
Of course, both players and owners alike would suffer in the absence of a season.
That said, football faces its own set of risks. This includes the potential for a second wave of COVID-19 later in the fall or winter months.
Goodell and other league officials have been taking precautions, shutting down team facilities while also considering limiting the preseason to allow for more of a “ramp up” period.
As of now, the NFL will march forward. But COVID-19 could easily disrupt the current schedule.
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