With coronavirus case numbers rising as more states across the U.S. open up, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that the football season might be at risk. “If there is a second wave, which is certainly a possibility and which would be complicated by the predictable flu season, football may not happen this year,” Fauci told CNN Wednesday.
Fauci suggested that the NFL might even have to follow other leagues’ leads in setting up a ‘bubble’ environment. “Unless players are essentially in a bubble – insulated from the community and they are tested nearly every day – it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall,” he said.
The NFL has proceeded with its offseason as scheduled, and the season is still slated to start on Sept. 10. The league has been working to implement safety protocols to limit the effects of the pandemic. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, issued a response to Fauci on Thursday, saying, “We will be flexible and adaptable in this environment to adjust to the virus as needed.”
