NFL announces no exhibition games will be played
There will be no exhibition games before the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic, the NFL made official Monday.
The league sent a memo to teams that stated: “To minimize the risk of travel and ensure that the regular season begins in a timely manner, the NFL has determined that no preseason games will be played this year.”
All NFL teams were scheduled to play four games. Reports earlier this year stated the number of exhibitions would be cut to two. And then there were none.
The Falcons were scheduled to play the Dolphins and Bengals at home and the Bills and Jaguars on the road.
The Falcons previously announced that no fans would be permitted at training camp and only between 10,000-20,000 fans for regular-season home games.
Falcons veterans were scheduled to report to training camp Monday. Rookies, injured players and quarterbacks reported last week.
The Falcons are scheduled to open the 2020 season Sept. 13 against the Seahawks at home.
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
