Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL continues to say the regular season will start on time. The preseason, however, will not.
The Hall of Fame Game, the league’s annual preseason kickoff in Canton, Ohio, has been canceled, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The enshrinement ceremony for the Hall of Fame Class of 2020 has also been postponed, likely until next year, when the Steelers and Cowboys are expected to face of in the 2021 Hall of Fame Game.
The cancelation of the Hall of Fame Game is the biggest concession the NFL has made yet to the pandemic. Although the league canceled the live event portion of the NFL draft, it still had the draft on its scheduled date and has gone through the offseason as if everything is proceeding as planned.
Whether further changes are coming in training camp, the preseason and the regular season only time can tell, but it’s clear that the pandemic is a force the league simply cannot control.
