New NFL league year to begin on schedule despite coronavirus concerns
By Sam Penix
The NFL has decided to begin the 2020 league year on schedule in spite of growing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
After days of speculation, the NFL will not be pushing back the start of its new league year amid coronavirus concerns, according to multiple sources including Adam Schefter. The 2020 NFL Draft and minicamps will almost certainly be affected, as those involve large amounts of people gathering together, but to this point, the only changes the league has made have been the cancellation of the owners’ meetings, as well as many teams cancelling their personal visits with Draft prospects.
The decision to not delay the start of the new league year may come off as tone-deaf to some, but it does make sense. Free agency is the first main event, with legal tampering beginning on Monday and contracts able to be signed starting Wednesday. But free agency doesn’t involve spectators, and can essentially be performed entirely remotely.
Of course it’s preferable to meet with players before offering them contracts, in the same way it’s preferable to meet with teams before committing to playing for them. But the majority of these players have been in the league for years now, and have plenty of contacts. The teams know what kind of people they’re getting, and the primary concern is coming to an agreement on compensation, which is mostly left up to agents anyway.
Reasons why this has become the expectation as day has progressed, based on conversations I've had with people familiar:
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) March 15, 2020
1. Free agency isn't a spectator event with large crowds.
2. Deals can be done without visits.
3. What if they push it back two weeks and things get worse? https://t.co/M1iVK4vuYD
The NFL also feels like this pandemic situation is not going to resolve itself any time soon, and could get worse before it gets better. Will pushing things back a few weeks really make much of a difference? The Center for Disease control is recommending large gatherings be stopped for at least the next eight weeks. No team is placed at a competitive advantage by starting free agency now.
NFL says NFLPA would not provide consent to move league year, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2020
NFLPA says: No one is traveling anyway. It’s not football activity, it’s deals. Everyone is working remotely. Let’s do our business remotely. And this could get worse before it gets better. So do it now.
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By doing this, the NFL also benefits from the pause that most other major sports have implemented. There is very little happening in the sports world at the moment, so free agency will be a major attraction, even bigger than it usually is. And it all starts Monday at noon eastern.