Dr. Anthony Fauci: 'Football May Not Happen This Year"

While teams and fans alike hope and prepare for the 2020 football season, one of the nation's foremost health experts is raining on the parade with a skeptical outlook.

Dr. Anthony Fauci says it's possible football may not happen in 2020, detailing the lengths to which the sport would have to go to have a season amid the COVID-19 pandemic (via CNN's Jason Hoffman):

Dr. Anthony Fauci tells @drsanjaygupta that "football may not happen this year."

"Unless players are essentially in a bubble – insulated from the community and they are tested nearly every day – it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall" Fauci said
— Jason Hoffman (@JasonHoffman93) June 18, 2020

Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer, responded to Dr. Fauci's assessment of the situation (via NFL Network's Tom Pelissero):

Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, responding to comments today from Dr. Anthony Fauci that it would be difficult to have a football season if players aren’t isolated in a bubble: pic.twitter.com/vghyou8HyK
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 18, 2020

While other major sports leagues have had to postpone their seasons, and are just now preparing to return to play in the coming months, the NFL has largely been able to operate in a business-as-usual manner with regards to their major events. Free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft both took place, albeit virtually and with some logistical hurdles.

It remains to be seen whether or not the pandemic will impact the league's actual schedule of games, which was released on schedule in May, and without any changes.