When Will the NFL Season Start?
Contents
The NFL season is set to start on September 10th. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a possibility that the season could be delayed.
Introduction
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American sports leagues, and the highest professional level of American football in the world.The regular season runs from September to December, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, six teams from each conference (four division winners and two wild card teams) advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl, which is usually held on the first Sunday in February and is played between the champions of the NFC and AFC.
Why the delay?
The National Football League (NFL) season was originally supposed to start on Thursday, September 10th. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the start of the season has been delayed until further notice. The NFL is not the only sports league that has been affected by the pandemic.
The novel coronavirus pandemic has thrown the start of the NFL season into question. While the league has expressed optimism that the season will begin on time, it has also contingency plans in place in case games need to be postponed or canceled.
The status of the season will largely depend on how well the country is able to contain the virus in the coming months. If cases continue to surge, it could make it difficult for the NFL to play games as scheduled.
There are also concerns about whether players will be willing to take part in the season if there is still a risk of contracting the virus. Some marquee names have already said they would not feel comfortable playing if there is still a risk of catching COVID-19.
The league has said it is working closely with health officials and taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of players and staff. However, it remains to be seen whether that will be enough to convince everyone that it is safe to take part in the season.
Player safety
The NFL said that the reasoning behind the delay is due to player safety, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge in some areas of the country.
“We felt that it was important to give ourselves as much flexibility as possible to make sure that we are able to play games in a safe and responsible way,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.
The league had hoped to start the season on time with all 32 teams playing their opener on September 10, but concerns about the coronavirus led to various schedule changes. The original plan was for each team to play 16 regular-season games and have four preseason games, but the league cut the preseason in half amid the pandemic.
When will the season start?
It is looking like the NFL season will start on time despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Although there have been some delays in getting players signed to contracts, the NFL has been working hard to make sure everything is in place for the season to start on time.
Early September
One of the most popular questions we receive each year is “When will the NFL season start?” The short answer for the 2019 season is Thursday, September 5th.
The NFL season usually starts the first week of September. The regular season ends on New Year’s Day, and the playoffs usually run through early February.
The NFL has not announced an official start date for the 2020 season, but it is tentatively scheduled to begin on Thursday, September 10th.
Mid-September
The NFL regular season will tentatively start on Sunday, September 12th. The final schedule has not been released yet, but traditionally the season starts the Thursday after Labor Day. This year, Labor Day falls on September 6th.
How will the season look?
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the landscape of the NFL season. The season was supposed to start in September, but it was pushed back to October due to the pandemic. The season will now be played in a 17-week regular season instead of the usual 16 weeks. There will also be a new playoff format with 14 teams instead of the usual 12 teams.
Fewer preseason games
The 2021 NFL regular season is scheduled to begin on September 9 and end on January 9, 2022. The playoffs are scheduled to begin on January 15, with the Super Bowl scheduled for February 6.
The NFL is also considering reducing the number of preseason games from four to two. However, no final decision has been made on this matter. If the NFL does reduce the number of preseason games, it would likely be for the 2022 season.
Conference realignment
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the NFL to consider a number of different options for the upcoming season. One option that has been discussed is conference realignment. This would involve moving some teams to different conferences in order to reduce travel and create more manageable schedules.
Another option that has been floated is playing all games within one geographic region. This would limit travel even further, but could be difficult to implement given the different time zones across the country.
A third option is to start the season later than usual and play fewer games. This would give teams more time to prepare and could help ensure that players are healthy and ready to compete.
The NFL has not made any decisions about the upcoming season yet, but these are some of the options that are under consideration.
Conclusion
The NFL season will tentatively start on September 10th. This is subject to change based on the situation with the coronavirus.
