Anthony Fauci: Impossible To Call Whether NFL Will Go Ahead

Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s leading infection specialist, has cast doubt on whether the 2020 NFL season will be played.

Anthony Fauci said on Tuesday that it’s ‘impossible to call’ if it will be safe for the NFL to operate normally by the fall.

He was clarifying quotes from him which said that football would have to be played in a bubble, like the NBA. Anthony Fauci has received some pushback from this, although he says he was taken out of context.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director said we need a dramatic decrease in infections by the fall.

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“The situation this fall will be dictated by the dynamics of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States,” Fauci said. 

“Optimally you would want to see the level of infection dramatically decreased and good control of any evidence of resurgence. Again, the officials of the league in consultation with the players will make their own decisions.”

Concerns have been growing since some NFL players caught the virus after taking part in restricted practices. Players from Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, Denver and Tampa Bay have tested positive in recent days.

Read: Bucs QB Tom Brady Ignores Advice From NFLPA On Group Workouts

“My statements about the NFL season have been misinterpreted and taken out of context,” Fauci said. 

“I was asked by officials from the NFL about risks associated with various scenarios that the NFL might face in consideration of the upcoming season. I provided advice from a public health standpoint. The ultimate decision is not mine but that of the officials of the NFL and the players themselves.

“I merely provide advice based on data and science. I certainly do not make the call on whether a league can or cannot return.”