Extra Point | It's Time to Get a Grip on the "What's Ifs" Regarding an NFL Season

In a quest to appease the public's desire for information about the COVID-19 virus, there seems to be an oscillation of opinions from medical officials that sends fans into a panic. And there really is no need for that this early in the process.

Play football in a bubble?

That’s the latest opinion of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and a member of the White House task force on the virus opined during an interview with CNN.

“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

Those comments caused some uproar among sports fans who are desperate for the NFL to meet its goal of starting training camps and the season on time. Not long after Fauci's comments came out, Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, released a statement reaffirming the league’s intention to put a product on the field this fall.

NFL Chief Medical Officer Allen Sills issued these comments in response to Dr. Anthony Fauci expressing concern about the upcoming season: pic.twitter.com/8YXrpzKIXS

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 18, 2020

While some might argue that Sills, who draws a paycheck from the league, is going to support the company line, it’s important to note that the doctor also acknowledged that players and league personnel tested positive, given that the virus is still in an endemic state.

“Because we think that this disease will remain endemic in society, it shouldn't be a surprise that new positive cases arise,” Sills said last month. “Our challenge is to identify them as quickly as possible and prevent spread to any other participants. We're working very diligently on that, and we'll have some detailed plans at a later time."

Extra Point

Every day there seems to be new information leaned by the science and medical fields about the novel coronavirus, which is going to affect whatever plans and protocols are in development.

While I appreciate there are people who cling to every word from those communities, including those who anxiously await word of a vaccination and/or medication to thwart this virus, I don’t think it’s doing anyone any good four-plus weeks before the start of training camp and three months before the regular-season to offer opinions that are subject to change at random.

I’m not trying to minimize the seriousness of the virus with the comparison I'm about to make. Still, this rapid back and forth regarding the news and recommendations remind me of free agency where you first hear of a potential deal looming only to have it go back and forth with no immediate resolution.

For the sake of our sanity, it’s probably best to let things play out, see where we are at this time next month when training camps are scheduled to open. By then, the NFL will hopefully have more information about this virus, where things stand in the community as far as case outbreaks, and whether it truly is feasible to have a season.