Things could be looking very different for the NFL over the next year due to the coronavirus pandemic that is keeping most Americans at home. The league was able to safely adjust protocol to allow for free agency to happen as planned in March and the NFL virtual draft was a huge success in April.
But things will get a little tricky from here on out with strict social distancing guidelines keeping players off the field and fans out of seats in stadiums across the country.
The NFL is now rumored to be releasing the upcoming 2020 schedule the first week of May and some big changes may be coming to make up for lost time.
According to a post in the Sports Business Journal, the league is considering such ideas as moving the Super Bowl out to Feb. 28, starting the regular season as late as Thursday, Oct. 15, and getting rid of bye weeks and the Pro Bowl.
League executives are working on a number of contingency plans to allow for a season to happen – when and if – it is safe to do so. So keep your eyes peeled as the changes are slowly rolled out.
“One thing I’ve learned about what we are going through as a country is you can’t tell a week from now much less three months from now,”
commissioner Roger Goodell said on ABC’s Good Morning America. “So, our job is to be ready. We will obviously be ready to make alternatives.”
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