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Coach @SeanPayton joined @BritneyEurton at Oaklawn Park to talk about how Coronavirus could impact free agency in the NFL as well as the upcoming draft.@FanDuel pic.twitter.com/tUSf4K3GIv
— TVG (@TVG) March 14, 2020
How will the NFL respond to the growing threat of infections from the COVID-19 coronavirus? Unlike other sports leagues like the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, and Minor League Baseball, its teams and players were not actively playing games before infections began to spread throughout America. But the advent of free agency — and the dozens of flights for meetings and physicals that are integral to it — might be giving the NFL pause.
And New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton anticipates some changes to the league’s offseason calendar, which is set to roll over into its new fiscal year next week. Payton said during an interview with the TVG Network’s Britney Eurton that he’s expecting the NFL to delay the start of free agency until the immediate threat of the coronavirus has lessened.
When asked how the public health crisis might impact league operations, Payton’s focus was more on free agency than April’s NFL draft. “Most immediately, the start of our league year, which is due to be this Wednesday, free agency begins, that’s gonna be, I think, pushed back.”
Payton also said that he anticipates some formatting changes for the draft, which traditionally features a roaring crowd of fans eager to welcome the next generation of NFL stars into the fold. The event is also known for its red carpet festivities featuring prospects and their families, and plans for the 2020 draft in Las Vegas initially called for elaborate taxis-by-boat to that red carpet stage. But the draft has always been an event that teams can conduct remotely, and Payton guessed that it could be the case this year.
As for the changes the Saints are making: Payton noted that their top priority was keeping personnel and their families safe and healthy, with some employees working remotely while extra work is put in to maintain clean facilities in New Orleans. He also spoke warily about the danger younger, healthier people may present to those close to them, emphasizing the need to be vigilant about our personal hygiene. It’s clear that he’s taking the situation seriously.
But is Payton right about the league pushing back the all-important start to its offseason? Mark Maske of The Washington Post reported that the NFL and the NFL Players Association expect to deliberate on the topic Sunday, following Saturday night’s final vote on the new collective bargaining agreement, with talks centering on the start of teams’ offseason programs and the first extended time players will spend gathered in training facilities around the league. It’s very much a developing situation, so check back soon for updates.
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