The ability of the NFL to hold its 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic remains in doubt despite the league’s best efforts at keeping a business-as-usual approach to league operations.
Should the NFL be unable to hold the season due to the risks associated with the COVID-19 outbreak lingering into the fall, Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Davon Godchaux believes it will cause fans to lose it.
“I think everybody will freak out,” Godchaux said, per Hal Habib of The Palm Beach Post.
Godchaux did say he is “very confident” that the 2020 season will be held, but believes it will almost certainly be played without fans in the stands.
How the NFL will approach holding its season, however, remains uncertain. The league did just extend its virtual offseason policy for teams until May 29. Doing so does call into question when exactly teams will be able to bring players into facilities, though it’s believed that OTAs will not be held.
That leaves training camp as the time when players will finally descend upon team facilities, but it’s unclear at this point if even a late-July arrival will be possible, although the NFL is believed to be considering delaying the season and having it start in mid-October.
The league has established a potential coronavirus pandemic contingency plan that includes a revised season timeline. This of course would provide players adequate time to prepare if virtual offseason activities continue into the summer.
Everything is clearly still on the table when it comes to how the NFL will handle the obstacles to holding a 2020 season, but the league appears completely committed to making it happen.
And if for some reason everything doesn’t fall into place and the season is canceled? Godchaux’s prediction that fans will "freak out" is probably an accurate characterization of their collective reaction.
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