Goodell said any decision to delay the season would probably be a league and an owner decisionGETTY IMAGES
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell today reiterated that the league continues to operate under the assumption that it will be “ready to go” with the ’20 season without any delays. Goodell appeared on ESPN’s “Get Up” ahead of tomorrow night’s NFL Draft and said he would not speculate on “things that could happen that can prevent that from occurring.” He said, “We obviously put public safety as a priority one. ... We’ve demonstrated that when we have natural tragedies such as hurricanes that we always make sure we’re doing the right things.” Goodell noted the league is working with its teams' medical staffs and officials at both the CDC and the National Institute of Health as it establishes its current work guidelines. He said any potential decision to delay the season would “probably come down to a league and an owner decision.” The idea of playing in empty stadiums has been brought up as one way that sports, both on the pro and college level, could return sooner than later. Goodell did not specifically address that idea, but he said, “We’re going to do the things we need to do to make sure we’re operating safely, and that includes our fans.” Goodell: “Everything’s on the table. We’ve got to be smart. We want to try to do what we can to continue playing football, but doing it correctly and safely” (“Get Up,” ESPN, 4/22).
