Will the season go off without a hitch?

This is the ultimate question not just for the Jets, but the entire NFL and sports world in 2020.

With the world thrown into chaos because of the coronavirus pandemic, many are wondering if the NFL season will happen at all. Rookie training camp was already delayed a few days because the Jets didn’t feel comfortable with the NFL’s plan to play amid a pandemic, but now rookies and veterans are scheduled to report this week to the team facilities after two negative COVID-19 tests.

The NFL and NFL Players Association agreed on testing protocols on July 20, which set in motion the means to even have a training camp. Every team had to submit an Infectious Disease Emergency Response (IDER) Plan; the Jets’ plan was recently approved by the NFLPA. The plan also allows every team a Reserve/COVID-19 list, as well as the option for players to opt-out of the season, particularly if they’re at a high-risk. Some players have already decided to skip the 2020 season, including Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower.

Meanwhile, Major League Baseball has had to cancel games due to an outbreak that resulted in half of the Miami Marlins’ 30-man roster testing positive for the virus. 

Week 1 is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 10 – which gives the NFL just over six weeks to figure out how to make this season work without any problems. That’s a tall order for a league with hundreds of employees on every team and miles of land between games – and a tall order for a country that continues to see a rise in daily cases in certain states.