The 2020 NFL league year has gone on without a hitch–at least so far–in spite of the spread of coronavirus and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has no doubt football will go on as scheduled.

Goodell insisted the NFL would be part of the healing process when the season gets underway (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk):

Goodell spoke on camera for the first time earlier this week, in a FaceTime call with Ankur Jain, the founder and CEO of Kairos.

Among other things, Goodell reiterated the league’s intent to play football games in 2020.

“The NFL is planning to play,” Goodell said. “That’s our hope, and that’s our planning to date.”

Similar to the league’s views regarding the upcoming draft, Goodell believes that football will be beneficial during these trying times.

“We can help our country heal,” Goodell said. “We can help bring our communities together. We can provide hope. We can provide a distraction from the everyday issues and show people that there is a future out there and that we’re all going to be part of that.”

While Goodell acknowledged the importance of prioritizing the health and safety of fans, workers, and players, he also expressed optimism concerning measures being taken to curb the spread of coronavirus.

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However, it is still very early in the league year, and changes are already in place.

The 2020 NFL Draft will be conducted virtually, with all team facilities closed for the time being. There are also doubts about the feasibility of holding organized team activities (OTAs) and individual workouts with a number of “stay at home” orders still in place for the time being.

That said, Goodell continues to remain steadfast in his belief the 2020 NFL season will go on as planned.