NFLPA, NFL Agree: No Preseason Games

Word leaked out at the start of the month that the NFL was going to reduce the preseason schedule to two games instead of four to help with mitigating COVID-19 related risks.

It was reported later that same week that the NFLPA voted to recommend canceling all preseason games in 2020.

In the time that followed, word leaked out that the NFL wanted to play at least one preseason game, while the players criticized the league for lack of transparency on COVID-19 related health protocols.

Well, not all problems may yet be solved, but the league took a significant step when on Monday when the NFL offered the union no preseason games this season, which the union then accepted yesterday.

It’s not often that you’ll see the owners in the NFL giving in to their players like this. Still, safety is the primary concern, and many fans not expected to be able to attend regular season games much less preseason ones.

The logic is sound.

It’s not that it doesn’t come with any potential downside. For players who were undrafted or at the bottom of a team’s roster, preseason is usually a chance to shine and make an impression on your side and the rest of the league to show that you can play a meaningful role in the NFL. Without that, it’ll be a lot harder for those players to make a roster.

There could also be more rust experienced by teams since they won’t have any live warmups before starting the season on Sept. 10. Coaches would already complain about the lack of real live practices in today’s NFL and know that if there is no preseason, training camp reps will take on even greater importance.

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