NFL Looking At All Options Including Delayed Start To Season

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The NFL is looking at their options ahead of the May 7 schedule release date including a delayed start to the season.

According to Sports Business Daily, the NFL is looking at options such as delaying the start of the season to October 15. Also, having a shortened season with no bye weeks for teams and no Pro Bowl and having the Super Bowl taking place on February 28.

These options come during the coronavirus pandemic.

League executives are looking at all options to get a full season in even if they shorten the amount of weeks and/or delaying the start of the year.

Other options include two weeks of early-season games being shifted to the end of the season. A third week would feature teams only playing opponents with the same bye week, so that week could be cut and byes eliminated league wide.

Nothing is set in stone but the NFL is putting together options as they move forward.

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According to Sports Business Daily, specific conversations have occurred with Tampa Bay who is the host of this season’s Super Bowl about delaying the big game one week to February 14 with the last two weeks of February being in play as well.

NFL chief scheduler, Howard Katz and the NFL’s broadcasters are working with two goals in mind: doing what they can to preserve the possibility of playing a full 16-game season and keeping the Super Bowl in February.

Keep in mind that the NFL and the NFL Players Association did approve a 17-game season with more teams able to reach the postseason but that doesn’t take place until the 2021 season.

Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports. You can download and listen to the podcast, here.