The 2020 NFL season is around the corner and even with players just weeks away from arriving for training camp, the Green Bay Packers are once again casting some doubt on football in the fall.
Green Bay Packers CEO on NFL season: “Time is no longer on our side”
The Green Bay Packers already dealt a blow to fans early this month when they announced they discussed holding games at Lambeau Field without fans. Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic worsening, CEO Mark Murphy seems even more uncertain about the NFL season taking place.
As part of a Q&A with fans on the team’s site, Murphy addressed how the NFL has benefitted from the COVID-19 pandemic taking place during the offseason. It gave the league time to make decisions, while hoping things would improve. Unfortunately, with the pandemic getting worse and cases of the coronavirus spiking, the league is running out of time.
“We’ve made decisions along the way, but the major ones we’ve been able to put off until we have more information. With so much uncertainty, it has made sense that we have not made decisions until we absolutely have to,” Murphy said, via Packers.com. “As we near the start of training camp, though (rookies will start practice on July 21 and veterans on the 28th), time is no longer on our side.”
Unfortunately for the Packers and the NFL, more difficult decisions are ahead. Several organizations and multiple NFL stars are worried about playing during a national health crisis. As a result, with time quickly winding down before the season, difficult choices could still be made.
“The biggest decisions will be regarding attendance at our preseason and regular-season games (and whether games should be held as scheduled – this would obviously have to be a league decision),” Murphy said.
A few months ago, the NFL’s worst-case scenario seemed to be a full 16-game season starting on time with limited stadium capacity. Now, given everything going on across the country, the chances of the 2020 NFL season being canceled seem to be increasing.