The NFL is moving forward with its plans to hold the 2020 NFL Draft as scheduled, despite general managers pushing for a delay. Meanwhile, many around the league reportedly believe that it will be nearly impossible for the 2020 NFL season to start on time due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
According to Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman, coaches and front-office executives around the NFL believe the NFL season will likely need to be pushed back. Among those with concerns for a potential delay, some believe training camp might not begin until the fall.
As the coronavirus continues to sweep across the globe with the number of cases skyrocketing each day, NFL coaches are reportedly now speaking to team doctors for insight on the ongoing crisis, per Freeman. In those discussions, team doctors are sharing that the ongoing epidemic could last for months.
The NFL recently announced in a memo that it is shutting down all team facilities until at least April 8. The decision came just days after NFL physicians agreed to discontinue all physicals until the ongoing health crisis ends.
Even if the NFL is able to hold the 2020 NFL Draft electronically, the league could still be in real danger of having to delay training camp. If team workouts get pushed back into August or September, that would likely be paired with the NFL season being pushed back.
The NFL is currently the only major professional sports league that hasn’t suspended operations, entirely due to it being the NFL offseason. But with team workouts and the preseason drawing closer, it’s clear the NFL might ultimately need to also take that step of precaution.