NFL Cancels Two Weeks of Preseason Games

The NFL is canceling two weeks of its four-game preseason schedule, a source close to the decision confirmed, as the league tries to make time for pandemic-altered training camps while keeping its regular season on schedule.

An official announcement could come as early as today.

Details are still sparse, but one senior executive said the league intends to cancel Weeks 1 and 4 while also reformatting Weeks 2 and 3 of the preseason so that every team plays one home game and one road game. Without that change, some teams would have lost both home preseason games.

The NFL has said training camps will begin on time—July 28 for most of the league's 32 teams – and also still hopes to start the regular season on Thursday, Sept. 10. However, insiders expect the NFL and NFLPA to soon agree to terms on training camps that would call for a slower ramp up into full practices to account for an offseason that was completely virtual because of COVID-19.

Canceling two weeks of preseason games would give the teams more time for an altered camp while not yet threatening the regular season.

Pro Football Talk first reported the changes.