It’ll be weird, but bet on a 2020 NFL season

When your business generates nearly $20 billion annually like the NFL, you’ll do plenty to make sure the train keeps rolling.

This is where the NFL stands as training camps are two weeks away from beginning across the country. Unlike previous years, teams will be confined to their in-season facilities, keeping franchises from traveling to remote destinations.

Everything about 2020 will be different because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teams will almost certainly have to deal with some players testing positive, and the subsequent quarantine that comes along with it. There will be a handful of opt-outs, guys either protective themselves or their loved ones.

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Of course, there won’t be full stadiums, at least in the beginning. Should a vaccine come by year’s end, maybe that changes. For now, it appears a long shot. This has been at the forefront of topics, and one Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers weighed in on over at Pro Football Talk.

“I think top of mind is are we gonna have a season. I think there’s a lot of things yet to be figured out. We’re hopeful, we’re hopeful that it’s with fans and we can get all the testing procedures down the way the want it for the utmost amount of safety. But I think we’re kind waiting for the league and the [NFL Players Association] to figure some things out.”

With the regular season slated to begin on Sept. 10 at Arrowhead Stadium, there remains a sense of uncertainty. Will any preseason games get played? Will the league have to shut down or completely alter course throughout July and August? Does the NFL have a plan for if one team gets hammered by coronavirus cases?

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All these things remain legitimate questions and concerns for the NFL, which is trying to avoid a major stoppage as we’ve seen from the NHL, MLB, NBA, PGA Tour and other sports.

Still, the smart money says the NFL will play a full 16-game slate followed by playoffs and the Super Bowl. Why? Football had the gift of time, while watching other leagues go through the trial and error phase. Additionally, the NFL has the most to lose considering its revenue.

The 2020 season is going to be bizarre, tough and ugly. It won’t go smoothly. Yet, the wise bet is that it will go indeed, pushing on despite a surging pandemic stateside, whether it’s a good idea or not.