The NFL brand continues to be the face of America’s past time. Whether it’s Thursday, Sunday or Monday (soon Saturday’s), fans watch their favorite team compete on a weekly basis. This year, the entire NFL has a pretty dark cloud looming above its brand. The coronavirus has literally destroyed the country’s economy, caused hundreds of thousands deaths and has reshaped the NFL regular season.
COVID-19 is not going away any time soon. And, it continues to affect the NFL and it’s popular game. Numerous players have tested positive for COVID-19. From NFL superstar Von Miller to former Jacksonville Jaguars’ quarterback Gardner Minshew. The positive results of player is also affecting the outcome of the game and may be the catalyst of some teams not making the post season. For example, former league MVP Cam Newton tested positive for COVID-19 just before the New England Patriots matchup with defending champions Kansas City Chiefs. The game showcased a marquee match up with reigning Super Bowl and league MVP against the before mentioned Cam. Newton. That much anticipated match up NEVER happened. Instead, the NFL front office rescheduled the game. The Patriots struggled with Newton no in the lineup. Final score was 26-10 and the game wasn’t even close. That loss may have caused the Patriots the season as the team hasn’t been the same sense. Once again, COVID-19 is directly responsible for being the league’s huge thorn in the side.
The NFL is near it’s halfway mark in terms of the regular season. The Jaguars, Titans, Broncos and Vikings all have players with positive results. In fact, the Raiders sent their entire offensive line home due to one of the players testing positive for the virus. The NFL has done a tremendous job in trying to manage the season under the country’s pandemic.
We all love this game. We all love when our team wins. We certainly love it if the coronavirus would go away. Not only does the NFL needs it, the entire country is hoping this wish comes true.