Schedules release is an exercise in optimism
Contingency plans being sorted through
The NFL plans to release its schedule for the 2020 season Thursday night, publicizing a list of 256 games slated to be played between Sept. 10 and Jan. 3, followed by a postseason culminating with the Super Bowl on Feb. 7 in Tampa, Florida.
It is an exercise in optimism probably most accurately characterized as a best-case scenario. The unveiling is more of a guideline than it is a certainty, as the nation’s most popular sport continues to hope for the best but plan for contingencies amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The NFL’s vision for a full season that begins on time, or close to it, could be bolstered by nationwide advances in the coming months in the availability of coronavirus tests, some people in and around the league say. Some say they can envision the season being played with strict protocols for the testing of players and coaches, with cautious policies guiding health practices for fans in stadiums, and with teams and owners accepting competitive disparities resulting from varying state and local restrictions.
The league has said little publicly about the specifics of its contingency plans but has acknowledged the need to adapt, most recently in a memo sent Tuesday by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to teams saying the league had “confirmed with all clubs” that their ticket policies for the 2020 season will offer fans full refunds or credits (on tickets purchased directly from teams) for any games canceled or played with fan restrictions.
“In preparing for all elements of the 2020 season, including the schedule release, we have considered the unique circumstances facing us this year and have been clear that all of our decisions will be guided by medical and public health advice and will comply with government regulations,” Goodell wrote in the memo, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post. “We will be prepared to make necessary adjustments just as we have in other contexts, such as the offseason program and the draft.”
The NFL, according to people familiar with the league’s planning, has been sorting through a list of contingencies that include games in empty or partially filled stadiums, a delayed or shortened season, and games being relocated or rescheduled.
“I have every expectation that a full 16-game season is going to happen in the NFL with a Super Bowl champion being crowned sometime in February,” Marc Ganis, a prominent sports business consultant with ties to the league and several NFL teams, said by phone this week. “There are a number of permutations in that.”
President Donald Trump has said that he would be in contact with Goodell and other sports commissioners regarding plans for reopening the country’s businesses. The NFL has been in regular contact with governors and other state and local leaders, officials say, as it formulates its plans. The league and NFL Players Association have been in discussions about protocols that will govern the sport’s operations.
The league cautions that it isn’t focused yet on training camps, given how much conditions could change by late summer, and isn’t concerning itself at this point about the possibility that teams could have to be relocated during training camp or the season, based on local conditions or restrictions.
The league probably would be unwilling to shorten training camps because of injury concerns about players who already are missing offseason workouts. But some in and around the sport speculate the preseason could be shortened if needed, perhaps to as little as one game.
The NFL has set protocols for reopening team facilities and has told the 32 teams to have them in place by May 15. In a memo sent by Goodell and obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, several phases of the protocols were laid out. The first phase would involve a limited number of non-player personnel, initially 50 percent of the non-player employees (up to a total of 75) on any single day, being approved to be at the facility. But state or local regulations could require a lower number.
The individual clubs would decide which employees could return to the facility and when once facilities reopen. No players would be permitted in the facility except to continue therapy and rehabilitation for injuries that was underway when facilities were ordered closed in late March by Goodell.
Goodell noted that the league is actively working on the next phase of reopening, which will involve both more staffers, and players. He said the players’ union is also being consulted on these steps. Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s medical director, will speak with each team physician and the infection control officer to discuss implementation and medical aspects of the protocols.
In his first public comments since the end of last season, free agent defensive end Jadeveon Clowney said in an interview with FOX 26 Houston TV Tuesday night he has not ruled out that he could still return to Seattle.
“I hope we can work something out if anything happens,” Clowney said. “I did like it up there. I love Russ (Russell Wilson). I love all the guys I played with. J. Reed (Jarran Reed), B. Jack (Branden Jackson), all them boys in my (defensive) room. I respect them guys.”
But what Clowney undoubtedly wanted to get across more in his interview is that he’s healthy. The interview was conducted at a gym in Houston — with lots of shots of him going through different exercises — that Clowney said he has been attending for the last two months since having surgery following the season to repair a core/ sports hernia injury.
Dallas bolstered its offensive depth with the addition of former 2015 first-round pick offensive lineman Cameron Erving on a one-year deal. Erving played with the Kansas City Chiefs the past three seasons. He was available after the Chiefs declined to pick up the option on his contract.