The impacts of COVID on the NFL season

AKSHAY NAIR – With COVID-19 impacting all parts of peoples’ lives, the world of sports has had to drastically adapt to the pandemic world. With certain leagues such as the NBA and NHL opting to resume their seasons in a closed bubble format, many wondered how the NFL would respond to protect their players and the season itself. Met with some controversy, the NFL decided to allow for the season, for the most part, to continue as originally planned with some minor exceptions. 

One of the biggest changes was the elimination of the 4 pre-season games to start the season. While these games do not count for playoff seeding, the games are crucial for starters to develop chemistry and for rookies, undrafted and young players to prove they belong on a roster. In addition, it gets players ready for the high intensity and rigor required to compete at the professional level. The absence of these games also meant that training camp and offseason workouts were lost as well. This all resulted in a slew of injuries during the first few weeks of the season. Many notable stars such as New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, and Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton all went down with season ending injuries in the second week of the season. The trend of injuries is consistent with a 2011 finding that injuries increased by 25% following an extended layoff from play (Goldman 2020). 

With the lack of a bubble environment and because players interact closely with one another, the virus can spread easily at football facilities. If one player contracts the virus, it is likely that others on the team were also exposed before an outbreak is identified. With the NFL conducting contact tracing and daily testing, the virus has shut down the Titans, Ravens, Patriots, and numerous other teams’ facilities. This has resulted in teams losing essential practice days and access to rehabilitation centers, negatively affecting teams with COVID positive players. The NFL protocol states a mandatory 10 day quarantine for a COVID positive player, meaning that player will miss at least one game. If numerous players test positive, the NFL has had to reschedule games sometimes with only a few hours notice. This has resulted in games being played at odd times in the week such as Tuesday night, Monday afternoon, and Wednesday afternoon. Furthermore, the last minute changes in schedule caused the Pittsburgh Steelers to play 3 games in 12 days, which is both extremely physically and emotionally draining. 

The NFL had to change this season drastically; however, the league was unprepared to deal with the virus’s unpredictability. From the start of the season there was a lack of emphasis on player safety, leading to many players opting out, and while there have been more consequences on breaching COVID protocols, much of the actions have been reactionary rather than precautionary. As this tumultuous season reaches the post-season, it is remarkable that the NFL was able to conduct all 256 games in the expected season. With the Super Bowl currently set to be held at Raymond James stadium on Sunday February 7, the hope is that no new coronavirus outbreaks will occur, derailing the event. With only one game left to be played, the effects of COVID on the 2020 season will undoubtedly be seen as teams vie for the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl trophy.  

Source:

https://www.npr.org/2020/09/21/915381524/nfl-sees-spate-of-injuries-is-the-pandemic-to-blame

Copy Editor: Halle Mastronardo

Photography Source: Shweta Mistry