Roger Goodell 'confident' NFL will finish 2020 season, play Super Bowl

The start of the NFL season is a week away and there remain concerns about the league's ability to play an entire season in the midst of a global pandemic. But NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says that he is "confident" that the NFL will be able to play out the entirety of the season as scheduled.

"We are confident we're going to be able to play, not just the start of our season but through the remainder of our season to the Super Bowl," Goodell told CNBC.

There is certainly reason for optimism, as the NFL has done a great job keeping new COVID cases extremely low as they've prepared for the upcoming season. From Aug. 21-29, 58,621 tests were administered to a total of 8,739 players and team personnel and there were only four new confirmed positive tests for players and six for team personnel, showing that the NFL's safety protocols may be effectively keeping players, coaches and staff safe.

However, so long as the NFL decides against using a bubble, there will be some level of worry that an outbreak may be coming soon. After all, the NBA has essentially eliminated the coronavirus in Orlando and while the MLB season has not been canceled, they have had to deal with outbreaks with multiple teams as a result of not choosing a bubble strategy.

The NFL season is scheduled to begin on Sept. 10, with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Houston Texans. The Super Bowl is scheduled to be played on Feb. 7, 2021.