The NFL is proceeding as if the regular season will go on as planned. That would mean a full slate of games in early September. Of course, no one would expect it to think otherwise until more information is known about the long-term impact of the coronavirus pandemic currently sweeping through the nation.
President Trump said over the weekend that he expects football, and other sports, to return in September. California's governor, Gavin Newsom, is less optimistic and doesn't believe that the timeline is realistic.
"I'm not anticipating that happening in this state," Newsom said. "We've all seen the headlines over the last couple days in Asia where they opening up certain businesses and now they're starting to roll back those openings because they're starting seeing some spread and there's a boomerang. One has to be very cautious here, one has to be careful not to overpromise."
If the San Francisco 49ers want to play in September, assuming the NFL green lights the start of football by then, it may not be at Levi's Stadium.
One Santa Clara County official, executive officer Dr. Jeffrey Smith, told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday not to expect sports games to be played in the region until November, at the earliest, according to the Los Angeles Times. And even then, maybe not until the end of November, around Thanksgiving, if they are lucky.
"This is not something that's going to be easy to do," Smith said.
A block on sporting events in the county wouldn't just impact the 49ers. It would also impact the San Jose Sharks, as well as Stanford and San Jose State athletics.
The NFL still plans to hold its annual draft, which will take place from April 23-25, albeit in an unprecedented format with team staffs working remotely. All other offseason programs, such as minicamps, OTAs, and training camps, are up in the air.
"I know that our front office, and our coaching staff, and the people involved are probably the best in the business at making things work," starting tackle Mike McGlinchey said on KNBR Wednesday. "I'm sure there's a bunch of plans in place (to prepare us for the season).
"We have not been informed yet because it's still so early, but it's a really challenging time for everybody, so you've got to be patient and figure out the best way possible to move forward."