It was reported earlier on Wednesday that the NFL has decided to cut its preseason slate in half next month amid the raging pandemic.
Now comes this rather interesting piece of information from NFL Media.
NFLPA has not signed off on shortened NFL preseason
“There has been no decision on the upcoming NFL preseason as some members of the NFL Players Association are in favor of playing no preseason games ahead of the 2020 NFL season,” NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported.
On the surface, this would seem like a stunning development. That’s until we realize that multiple players pushed back against the two-game preseason slate on social media after it was reported.
The original idea behind shortening the preseason was to give teams more time to get ready for Week 1. Remember, all in-person activities were canceled this spring and summer due to the pandemic.
NFL season to take place amid COVID-19 pandemic?
This is now becoming a more prevalent question with cases rising in some of the largest areas of the United States. That includes California, Florida, Arizona and Texas.
It was noted earlier on Wednesday that the NFL was considering forcing fans to sign a liability waiver if they wanted to attend games this season. This is a clear indication that the league itself is concerned about the pandemic.
While we’re not at the point in these labor talks where one should be overly concerned, it’s important to note that a division between MLB and its players led to the 2020 season being delayed even more.
Could the NFL be facing similar issues this summer?
As of right now, training camps are slated to kick off later in the month with Week 1 starting on Sept. 10. It will be interesting to see what comes of this in the next few weeks.