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Seahawks Will Play First 3 Home Games Minus Fans

With the NFL attempting to play amid a global pandemic, Seattle will be without fans in the stands for "at least" the first three home games of the regular season, if not longer.
Corbin K. Smith|
Seahawks Will Play First 3 Home Games Minus Fans
Seahawks Will Play First 3 Home Games Minus Fans

In an expected move amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Seahawks announced on Wednesday that the team will have no fans in attendance for "at least" the first three scheduled regular season games at CenturyLink Field.

Seattle will play its home opener on Sunday Night Football against Cam Newton and the new-look New England Patriots on September 20. The following week, they will remain at home hosting Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys. Two weeks later, they will have another prime time home tilt with the Minnesota Vikings.

Based on this decision made in conjunction by the team, public health officials, and government officials, all three of those contests will be played in an empty stadium. Depending how things change between now and early November, the Seahawks could potentially play in front of a limited crowd against the 49ers in Week 8.

In the second half of the season, Seattle has four remaining home games against the Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, and New York Jets. Per the statement released on the team's official Twitter page, the Seahawks will "continue to follow the lead of public health and government officials" to make future decisions on fans being allowed to return.

While most teams have opted to play with empty stadiums to start the season, league officials have given the authority to state and local governments to determine whether or not fans will be allowed to attend games on an individual team-by-team basis. Kansas City and Dallas both plan to have a limited number of fans in attendance for home games from the outset.

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Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.

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