Bill Cowher, our favorite former head coach, has his doubts that the NFL will move forward with a season this year. Like most of us, he knows the ramifications of COVID-19 can weigh heavily on the league and its players.
Cowher knows a thing or two about the virus because he and his wife believe they contracted it in March. Prior to states shutting down, the two had both traveled extensively and slowly began to experience symptoms. Although Cowher and his wife were not tested when the symptoms occurred, they tested positive for antibodies in April.
Cowher hasn’t been involved in the league — from a coaching standpoint — for 14 years now. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long. He still holds a special place in his heart for the sport and the incredible athletes who play it.
So when it comes to his take on whether pro football will happen this year, his concerns are prevalent.
“I don’t know [if the league can pull it off],” Cowher said in an interview with Ed Bouchette of The Athletic. “No. 1, the players have to feel comfortable with whatever they come up with from a testing standpoint, from a protocol standpoint. I totally understand the reluctance. Even though they say young people aren’t getting it, you also have people who have asthma, people who have underlying conditions in their families — they’re going back to their homes with parents who may now be elderly. It’s not like you can isolate yourself from everybody, particularly during a season that’s five months long. …
“I still think we have a long way to go,” he said. “It’s going to come down to the league and the NFLPA feeling comfortable moving forward, and even within that if they come up with a set of guidelines, and now a player who doesn’t feel comfortable, he may not want to be part of it. It affects people differently not only from a physical standpoint but from a mental standpoint. … I think we have to respect that.”
Bouchette brought up an excellent possible scenario in his article: “And what, for example, if on the day before a game, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger tests positive for COVID-19? What about teammates he might have come into contact with during the week? What if all three quarterbacks test positive?”
No one knows just yet — beyond testing — what the exact solution for that scenario would look like.
Cowher said the other pro leagues that are now re-convening will serve as a ‘litmus test’ for football.
“It’s going to come down to a set of guidelines that are fair to everyone, and there’s going to have to be flexibility within that. Between now and then, what happens with these other pro leagues, seeing how they handle it, will be a little bit of litmus test for the NFL to see how they can make adjustments. The timing for the NFL … you’re able to see other professional leagues, other professional athletes, start back up, and see how they are handling testing and some of the protocols that are being set.”
I think we can all agree that we’d rather have football this fall than not. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. There’s no doubt that the league is working tirelessly to ensure that players will be safe if football is played.
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