Falcons owner Arthur Blank envisions fanless games in 2020 due to COVID-19

The coronavirus outbreak has already made the 2020 NFL Draft pivot to an online format. Will it cause the upcoming season to be played without fans? It's possible.

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank says he wouldn't be surprised if games were played in empty stadiums, among other things. 

"I could easily see camps being shorter, players being tested on a daily basis, things of that nature," Blank said, according to TMZ Sports. "No fan attendance. Things like that."

Fanless games isn't exactly a wild thought, especially when teams in Europe were doing it before they went into lockdown.

Blank added that the risk of infection may still be too high, even months away in September. 

"If I had to speculate now, and I use the word speculate because that’s really all it is, I would say yes [to 16 games]," Blank said. "Only because it’s so far away from where we are today."

The Falcons owner also stated that football is necessary during these tough times and that the sport will help people heal.

The NFL season is set to get underway on Sept. 10, but that could change quickly.