VIDEO: Sean Payton Says He Expects Start of New NFL League Year to Be Pushed Back
By Sean Facey
The coronavirus outbreak has brought most of the sports world to a halt, but the NFL is one of the few remaining professional leagues that hasn't made a major scheduling delay. That, however, is still subject to change. New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton believes that there's a strong chance that the start of the new league year will be delayed.
"Most immediately, the start of our league year, which is due to be this Wednesday, free agency begins, that's gonna be, I think, pushed back." — Sean Payton https://t.co/rMw4tuMPVv
— Amie Just (@Amie_Just) March 14, 2020
It certainly wouldn't be a shock if the new year was pushed back just a bit.
The NFL clock is scheduled to reset on March 18, but considering how the outbreak is spreading across the United States and the increasing amount of cases among athletes across other sports, it would be better to hit the pause button to take stock of things.
The NFL says the league year will begin as scheduled.
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) March 12, 2020
March 18 at 4 p.m. ET pic.twitter.com/3AXndFhTyP
For now, the NFL still is on schedule, but as Payton stated, he believes at least some action will be taken. This is purely speculation on behalf of the Saints HC but he is certainly not the only one hoping the league opts to prioritize health over business.