Goodell says league firm on schedule
Commissioner ‘confident’ regular season finishes on time
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday the league remains committed to finishing the regular season as scheduled.
Goodell also said on a conference call that while the NFL is considering a bubble format for the playoffs, it wouldn’t necessarily resemble what the NHL and NBA used in successfully in completing their seasons.
“It will take partnership and discipline to complete this season. I’m confident we’ll be able to do it,” Goodell said, referring the NFL Players Association, the clubs and the players.
Added Dawn Aponte, the league’s chief football administrative officer: “In terms of the guidelines we have used, our guiding principle is medical and we are trying to ensure we are playing all games safely. Providingwe candoso within 17weeks, that is what our objective is and will continue to be.”
Goodell and Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, noted that a bubble concept can have many iterations.
“We don’t see the bubble asmost refer to it in one location,” Goodell said. “We feel strongly that our protocols areworking. We’re willing to adjust and adapt those protocols, take additional steps. But I don’t see us doing the bubble in the sense that the media focuses on it.”
Sills pointed to the need “to recognize whenever we think about structuring something for the teams, look at the risks and benefits. There’s no plan that will be completely risk free. We have to make what we think is the best and safest decision.
“All options remain on the table and will be driven by what the data showus.
“We have adjusted our protocols nearly everyweek.”
Sills also stressed that the NFL won’t be seeking any preferential treatment when vaccines become readily available. He emphasized that vaccines must first go to the front-line healthworkers.
“We want to obviously work with authorities,” Sills said. “We never want to do anything that hinders the public health effort. If it becomes appropriate for us to have vaccines available for coaches and players and staff, and not hinder the public health effort ... then certainlywe will consider that. We are in noway going to ‘cut the line.’ ”
For Week 12, the NFL was forced to reschedule the Ravens at Steelers game from Thanksgiving night to Sunday, then Tuesday andfinallyWednesdaybecause of aCOVID-19 outbreak among the Ravens.
Also, the Broncos played their regularly scheduled game with the Saints on Sunday despite having no experienced quarterbacks due to violations of the league’s coronavirus protocols.
There’s also been disruption to theWeek 13 schedule because of the Ravens’ situation.
Goodell said NFL protocols don’t call for postponing a game because one position group is impacted by COVID-19, as happened with the Broncos.
“Wewill not postpone or reschedule games because of COVID-19 in a specific position group if we are comfortable the rest of the team is not at risk, whichwas exactly the case in Denver,” he said.
“Let me be crystal clear, as we have been with our clubs since last March. Health and medical take precedence.
“We follow the facts, the science, and recommendations of our medical experts are first and foremost the bedrock of our decisions.”
The most recent coronavirus testing showed from Nov. 15-21, 42,809 tests were administered to a total of 7,886 players and team personnel. There were 28 new confirmed positive tests among players and 42 among other personnel.