NFL to release schedule Thursday night

Posted by Charean Williams on May 4, 2020, 8:23 PM EDT
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The NFL has taken a business-as-usual approach to its offseason. That continues this week with the release of the 2020 schedule.

The league announced Monday night that it will unveil the schedule Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

This year, the interesting part of the schedule will come in seeing how schedule-makers account for the possibility that the COVID-19 pandemic could affect the season.

The expectation is the league will design the schedule so it easily can be shortened, with backloaded divisional games and interconference games early on the docket.

The NFL currently is planning to start the week after Labor Day, as usual, with 16 games for each team over 17 weeks with a Super Bowl conclusion on the first Sunday in February.

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37 responses to “NFL to release schedule Thursday night”

  1. Bring on the games it’s time to get life back to normal. First we didn’t need a mask, and then it might be advisable, and then it was mandatory, so tell us which was it? First it wasn’t a threat, and then it was highly contagious, and then it was possible to catch it from surfaces, and then it wasn’t, so tell us which was it? Let’s just play some football people

  2. Ratings will be up 33% because seriously, what else does a sports fan have to watch? NFL wins even when everyone else is losing

  3. I’m willing to bet that Tom Brady’s Buccaneer’s open up Allegiant Stadium against the Las Vegas Raiders in a nationally televised game. Probably ESPN or maybe NBC’s FNIA.

  4. Of all sports which one goes against the concept of “social distancing” more than football?
    The whole thing is direct one-on-one up close confrontations amongst a group of people all at once.

    I love football more than anything but I’m really having a hard time envisioning how they’re gonna get around the very essence of the game.

    I hope I’m wrong.

  5. I’m trying to think of who really wins when games are played in London and Mexico City? A team is missing a home game and they play in front of people who really don’t care who wins and loses. It’s like the NFL is desperately seeking some intentional acceptance and approval. Their never going to be Formula 1 so get over yourselves. Your players have to toe the company line because if they complain it will get out in the press and be bad publicity for the shield. I will speak for the players who can’t.
    It’s freaking stupid !
    You rip games from true United States fans and give to a stadium with people in it who don’t remotely care.
    Thanks for looking out NFL.

  6. The NFL just keeps on keeping the sports world afloat… I bang on Roger a lot, I gotta hand him props for his handling (thus far) of this pandemic.

  7. Bradyneers vs Bressus, two first ballot HOF on field at same time with zero fan in attendance.

  10. I wonder if Vegas has posted any odds on whether there will even be an NFL season this fall.

  11. “First we didn’t need a mask, and then it might be advisable, and then it was mandatory, so tell us which was it?”
    ======================
    Is it that hard for you to see that things sometimes happen in phases? That’s how it works. We’ve never needed masks before. As more was learned about it masks were suggested. As we learned more, masks became mandatory in many places. Why’s that so confusing? At first it didn’t seem a threat but as we learned more about it we realized what a threat it actually was. Not that hard.

  12. Please oh wise NFL schedule makers…torture us with the Bears losing to the Packers in primetime in week 1 for the 3rd STRAIGHT YEAR.

    Like seriously…use some imagination when making the schedule.

  13. The next NFL season will be 2021, not 2020. Kicking off four months from now is a pipe-dream.

  15. Don’t EVEN give either TB the worth of having an opening game against the Raiders. Neither are worthy. It needs to be Miami. And not because of Shula but for that, it only solidifies it. The Raiders had a 11-6 record against arguably the best ever coach. Ended their perfect run, and had some iconic AFC games with them. Finally the AFC has ALL its teams in non shared stadiums. NFC isn’t invited period. If AL was alive he would crap all over the idea of TB being the opener. This is history, and not due to have a crappy expansion team to be a part of it from the NFC! Regardless of Gruden slipping into a dungy SB win.

  16. raiderdave31 says:
    May 5, 2020 at 12:49 am
    Don’t EVEN give either TB the worth of having an opening game against the Raiders. Neither are worthy. It needs to be Miami..NFC isn’t invited period. If AL was alive he would crap all over the idea of TB being the opener. This is history, and not due to have a crappy expansion team to be a part of it from the NFC!.
    ———-

    Oh whatever. You’re just afraid TB will lay the smackdown on your Raiders. I don’t blame you though, I’d wanna play Miami too, wouldn’t want to be embarrassed on the opening of your new stadium.

  17. How to handle training camp is a further complication. With limitations on the number of people getting together, how do you stuff 90+ people onto a playing field and conduct drills in what is a contact sport? Seems awfully risky. There will be transmission of the disease. No way to avoid it.

  18. KoolAidFree says:
    May 4, 2020 at 8:33 pm

    Bring on the games it’s time to get life back to normal. First we didn’t need a mask, and then it might be advisable, and then it was mandatory, so tell us which was it? First it wasn’t a threat, and then it was highly contagious, and then it was possible to catch it from surfaces, and then it wasn’t, so tell us which was it? Let’s just play some football people

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    No one EVER said it wasn’t a threat except the stable genius in the White House. You believe him about anything?

  20. Good, If I want to attend a football game i should be able to. Its My Body, My Choice!

  22. You people are delusional. NFL games without fans are meaningless. There will be no home field advantage for any team. It will be much like a “studio” production of WWE without fans. The games will not be the same without crowd noise.

  24. KoolAidFree says:
    May 4, 2020 at 8:33 pm
    Bring on the games it’s time to get life back to normal. First we didn’t need a mask, and then it might be advisable, and then it was mandatory, so tell us which was it? First it wasn’t a threat, and then it was highly contagious, and then it was possible to catch it from surfaces, and then it wasn’t, so tell us which was it? Let’s just play some football people

    ******************************************************************

    KoolAidFree on PFT says it’s time to get back to normal, so I guess the coast is clear.

    As for guidance changing regarding masks and contagiousness, it’s called science. As we learn more, our knowledge evolves. As knowledge evolves, so does advice/guidance around safe practice. I realize a lot of people in 2020 are opposed to science and want quick fix solutions to everything. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that.

  25. superfanentertainment says:
    May 4, 2020 at 11:14 pm
    Please oh wise NFL schedule makers…torture us with the Bears losing to the Packers in primetime in week 1 for the 3rd STRAIGHT YEAR.

    Like seriously…use some imagination when making the schedule.
    ______________________________________________________________

    This!!!!! and enough of the Giants at Cowboys on week 1 in a nationally televised game while we’re at it.

  27. 1.2 million COVID-19 cases in the US right now with nearly 70K deaths. Social distancing has shown effectiveness in slowing the logarithmic curve of viral cases/deaths but we are far from out of the woods. My money is on a significantly delayed start to the season (at the very least), but more likely no season this year. Sorry, you might have to read a book or something to entertain yourself.

  28. ninetysixer says:
    May 5, 2020 at 8:16 am
    Good, If I want to attend a football game i should be able to. Its My Body, My Choice!

    ————————————————————————————–

    If only it were that simple, then I’d agree with you, but there’s this little thing called transmission. So unless you are willing to go into mandatory quarantine for at least two weeks after you attend the game, then no, it’s not “my body, my choice.” You’ve perverted the meaning of that phrase and are being completely disrespectful.

  29. If only it were that simple, then I’d agree with you, but there’s this little thing called transmission. So unless you are willing to go into mandatory quarantine for at least two weeks after you attend the game, then no, it’s not “my body, my choice.” You’ve perverted the meaning of that phrase and are being completely disrespectful.

    ___________________________________________________________________________________________

    nope, its my body, my choice….same as the other people attending the game

  31. theprovoker says:
    May 5, 2020 at 8:31 am
    You people are delusional. NFL games without fans are meaningless. There will be no home field advantage for any team. It will be much like a “studio” production of WWE without fans. The games will not be the same without crowd noise.
    _____________

    It would be different, but it would definitely be meaningful football.

    Actually, I think it would be interesting to see which players play just as hard (or harder) without fans and which ones seem to really need the energy of a packed stadium.

    Give it a chance. I thought the draft this year was more interesting without the spectacle. Who know. The games may be as well.

  32. ninetysixer says:
    May 5, 2020 at 12:59 pm
    If only it were that simple, then I’d agree with you, but there’s this little thing called transmission. So unless you are willing to go into mandatory quarantine for at least two weeks after you attend the game, then no, it’s not “my body, my choice.” You’ve perverted the meaning of that phrase and are being completely disrespectful.
    ___________________________________________________________________________________________
    nope, its my body, my choice….same as the other people attending the game

    ——————————————————————————————————-

    Don’t be so obtuse, you aren’t helping.

  33. Over/under 12.5 on Cowboys and Buccaneers games televised in your local market.

  34. “First we didn’t need a mask, and then it might be advisable, and then it was mandatory, so tell us which was it? First it wasn’t a threat, and then it was highly contagious, and then it was possible to catch it from surfaces, and then it wasn’t, so tell us which was it?”

    Yes you do need to wear a mask which is primarily to protect other people if you are a carrier. Yes it is persistent on surfaces unless they are nuked with disinfectant.

    SMH

  35. Any schedule released this week is nothing but a wish list. No one has any idea if we’ll be able to have sports this year or not.

  36. “nope, its my body, my choice….same as the other people attending the game”

    Except if you are an asymptomatic carrier you can infect and potentially kill others, so no, its not just “your body your choice”

  37. Yes. PLEASE anything but the Packers having a home game on the opening Sunday or Monday. Again. And please not the Packers having 4 or 5 HOME Monday or Sunday night games against divisional opponents
    Try to be more reasonable and fair.

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