On Friday, NFL Network identified itself on-air as a distraction amid all of the concerns out there surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. The NFL still plans to start its new league year this coming week, as scheduled, with free agency beginning on Wednesday and the player negotiating window opening on Monday.
Not everyone across the league is so sure that will happen as planned.
NFL insider Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that, while the league continues to say it's business as usual, at least some team officials remain skeptical that plans can move forward as-is. Much of that is due to what is involved during the free-agency signing period.
Many NFL teams, including the San Francisco 49ers, have shut down their facilities. The coaches and most of the staff are working remotely. Sure, free-agent interviews and discussions can occur remotely, via phone or video conferencing. What can't be done remotely — at least, to a team's satisfaction — are things like physicals.
NFL continues to say it's business as usual and new league will start this week.
Multiple team officials express widespread skepticism that the NFL can start its league year this week, when our country is in crisis and so much - travel, visits, physicals - would have to happen.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2020
The change in the way the NFL is doing business right now isn't limited to free agency. The NFL has already put a stop to pre-draft visits. School pro days have also been canceled. That means those prospects who were unable to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine or were not invited, lose the advantage of gaining some face-to-face time with team decision-makers.
That includes players like Washburn guard Kyle Hinton, who was scheduled to visit with the 49ers before the team shut things down, and the league stopped visits. One fan asked draft analyst Tony Pauline, who reported the news about Hinton, why those interviews can't just take place remotely. He responded with the following explanation.
They do work but the issue for a non-combine guy is visits are usually done to perform medical exams as much as anything else. Can't do that on skype...well maybe you can but not the way NFL teams want them completed.
— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) March 13, 2020
While the rest of the sporting world, like the NBA, MLB, NCAA, MLS, and XFL, all shut down to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, it is business as usual for the NFL, the league insists. At least, that is the case for now.