NFL schedule rumors 2020: No international games this year?
The 2020 NFL schedule is set to be released this week but there reportedly will not be any international games on the docket for this season.
Amidst the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic across the world, the NFL has remained relatively steadfast in keeping things as normal as possible. The 2020 draft went off virtually and without too many hitches. And now the league is expected to release the 2020 NFL schedule at some time this week.
By all accounts, though we nor the league can see into the future, the plan is to play the preseason and the regular season as scheduled. Whether or not fans will be in attendance or if those initial plans will have to change remains to be seen. However, the could be one big change for the 2020 NFL schedule.
According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday, there may not be any international games on the 2020 NFL schedule:
NFL plans to release its preseason and regular-season schedule later this week, but one league source said Sunday that he doesn’t “think any international games (are) coming this year.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 4, 2020
If that is the case, that’s undoubtedly a bummer for international fans as, even if the league hasn’t always sent them the most high-profile games, they have always shown out in London and otherwise. Of course, it’s also hard to blame the league in this regard.
In the interest of player safety — and perhaps fan safety as well — in the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL should be concerned with limiting as many risk factors as possible. Increased travel and decreased league presence that are brought about by international games add several risks that aren’t present when just playing normal games in the league.
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Again, it’s disappointing that the NFL won’t be able to give fans in the United Kingdom or Mexico City the opportunity to see a game this season. But if it helps to control the COVID-19 spread at any point during the pandemic and keeps everyone safe, then taking a year off from having international games on the schedule seems well worth it.