Roger Goodell Threatens Punishment for Those Who Speak Out Against NFL Draft Plans

While most American sports leagues are totally shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NFL benfits from the fact their season doesn't start for a few months.

Still, their 2020 draft, which has already been moved out of Las Vegas amid COVID-19 concerns, will take place remotely on April 23, the day it was originally scheduled for. Roger Goodell made that very clear on Thursday, digging his heels in and insisting the draft will not be moved back, as evidenced by the scathing memo he sent to NFL teams.

Goodell wrote in a memo released to all 30 teams that discussing issues related to starting the draft on time served "no useful purpose and is grounds for disciplinary action."

Several prominent GMs, including Saints architect Mickey Loomis and Broncos executive John Elway, have voiced some concerns about starting the draft on its current timeline, but it sounds like anyone who echoes those concerns will be subject to a very public slap on the wrist from Goodell.

This is a tough look for Goodell, as this seems like a very draconian and stubborn ordinance during a global crisis. Still, at the very least, it should give fans starved for some sort of sports action a beacon of hope, as the biggest event of the NFL offseason appears ready to go off without a hitch.