Wednesday open thread: How long will the 2020 NFL season last?

As the days go on, America looks more and more ill-equipped to gather in large groups and come into close contact with each other. Yet somehow, it looks more and more likely that there will, somehow, be a 2020 NFL season, and that it will start on time.

I’ve been vocal on twitter about where I stand—as much as I want football, there simply isn’t a safe way to carry out a season given the current state. The league is too big for a bubble like the NBA, and it necessitates much closer contact than baseball or soccer. I don’t think it’s a matter of if, but when, the NFL learns this the hard way.

Question of the day: How long will the 2020 NFL season last before it gets shut down?

My answer: I give it five to seven games.

It’ll be a good 30ish days of ramp up before games start, and that’s when the real danger happens. One defensive lineman catches it and everybody in the trenches on his team and the other team brings it home.

A player’s wife or child passes it to them and they give it to everyone else in the DB room during a meeting.

A coach catches it and gets half the starting lineup sick from yelling at practice.

There are too many ways it goes wrong. There are too many people. There’s too much travel. What happens when 10 people on a team get it? Do they forfeit the next two or three games? Does the whole league pause? What happens if a player dies? A coach? A GM?

I don’t see this season running its course.

Your turn.