Mike Tomlin not 'confident' NFL will finish season in midst of pandemic

Will the NFL actually be able to finish its season? Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin admitted that at this point, he's not sure.

"I don't know that I'm extremely confident," Tomlin told NFL Network when asked about whether he thinks the NFL season will finish. "(But) I think we're all proceeding with caution and working extremely hard not to become part of that."

Tomlin's skepticism is understandable, as the NFL is deciding to avoid the bubble strategy in favor of completing the season while players will continue to live their normal lives. The MLB has also chosen not to do a bubble season, and multiple teams have already had to postpone their schedules due to coronavirus outbreaks. 

Meanwhile, leagues that have opted for the bubble strategy have been far more successful thus far, with the NBA recently reporting no new COVID-19 cases. The effectiveness of the bubble has caused some to wonder if the NFL should follow suit, though the league has made no indication it is considering pivoting to a bubble.

Tomlin is not the only NFL figure who has expressed uncertainty about the NFL's ability to finish the entire season in the midst of a global pandemic. Several players have already chosen to opt out of the upcoming season and many other players, including Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White, are considering sitting out the 2020 season. 

Ultimately, the NFL's season will likely hinge on the league's ability to properly monitor player safety and ensure that each team is properly following protocol, which is certainly no easy task.