It looks like fans will not be seeing a lot of football next month. After discussions of the NFL cutting the preseason in half, a new report indicates the league will “very likely” have each team play one preseason game. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported the news, and the schedule would be determined based on the location of all teams.
“A league source tells PFT that one preseason game is currently the ‘very likely’ outcome to the negotiations aimed at getting the various rules resolved before camps open,” Florio wrote. “Ideally, the games would consist of minimal travel (e.g., Jets vs. Giants, Chargers vs. Rams, Ravens vs. TBD), with the goal of having all games proceed with no teams flying.” Florio also mentions that setup won’t work for teams like the Seattle Seahawks who are not in driving distance of any NFL city. The Denver Broncos is another team that would have to fly to a location if they play a preseason game.
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This is not set in stone as the NFL and NFL Players Association are talking things over when it comes to procedures and guidelines for training camp and the regular season. However, it’s clear teams won’t be playing four preseason games since that would mean games would kick off in less than a month. The Pro Football Hall of Fame game is canceled, which was set to take place on Aug. 6. With COVID-19 cases growing across the country, some cities may not be ready to host a game in early August. This week, the NFLPA announced a total of 72 players have tested positive for the coronavirus. There are some players who are not sure a season will happen, including Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
“I think the top of mind is are we gonna have a season?” Rodgers said while taking part in the American Century Championship. “I think there’s a lot of things yet to be figured out.” One of the things the league will likely do is see how the NBA and MLB play during the pandemic. Both leagues will start play at the end of the month and have plans in place to try to keep the players as safe as possible. NFL players will report to the camp around July 28.
