As the NFL offseason inches on, the writing could be on the wall for the league once September rolls around. But NFL commissioner Roger Goodell isn’t ready to make a decision just yet.
The league is taking their precautions over the next few days with the 2020 NFL Draft. Everything is being doing virtually. But could the league take the ultimate precaution come the fall and play game without fans due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic?
Moments before the start of the first round of the draft, Goodell spoke on ESPN. When asked about the possibility, he said it was too early for the NFL to decide what it will do.
“We’re going to be prepared to play as planned, and we’re also going to look at alternatives,” Goodell said.
Goodell also mentioned he wants the league to be “part of the solution” in regard to the country getting back to normalcy in the future. Other professional leagues have halted in the United States, but across the globe, some leagues are starting play without fans.
On ESPN’s GetUp on Wednesday, Goodell further explained on his thoughts on potentially leaving fans out of the picture.
“I’m not going to speculate,” Goodell said. “We’re going to the things we need to do to make sure we’re operating safely and that includes that our fans. So if we can’t bring fans into a stadium environment without being safe, then we’ll look at those alternatives.”
Time will tell what the future holds for football fans.
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