Packers president hopeful NFL season will start on time 'with full stadiums'

While the Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers are preparing for a new normal caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Green Bay Packers aren't ready to give up on the idea of filled NFL stadiums during a football season that may or may not start on time.

In a statement shared by ESPN's Rob Demovsky on Thursday afternoon, Packers president Mark Murphy said he's holding onto hope that the NFL season can begin on Thursday, Sept. 10, as scheduled, and "with full stadiums, but we are also planning for a whole range of contingencies and examining the financial ramifications."

This differs from proposals and statements shared by the Dolphins and Panthers. Earlier this month, Dolphins CEO and president Tom Garfinkel unveiled a plan that included the club reducing attendance at Hard Rock Stadium from 60,000 fans to 15,000 this fall to encourage social-distancing protocols.

On Wednesday, Panthers owner David Tepper told CNBC's "Halftime Report" he realizes NFL teams won't have full stadiums during the upcoming season, "but that doesn’t mean you can’t have some fans in the stadium either."

Tepper added: "There should be some amount of fans in the stadiums, depending on what locale and where you are and what the local rules are. There could possibly be."

Meanwhile, NBC Sports’ Peter King reported on Monday that the start of the season could ultimately be postponed until at least Oct. 8 due to the pandemic.