Ohio governor on start of NFL season: ‘I just don’t know’

After president Donald Trump predicted the NFL season would start on time, others have been less optimistic, including Ohio governor Mike DeWine. In a recent interview on 850 ESPN Cleveland, DeWine said, “I just don’t know. I don’t know where we’re going to be and I don’t think anybody really knows ... Theoretically, it’s certainly possible that with some significant testing, you could put players on the field long before you could put people in the stands.”

At this point, it appears that broad testing for the coronavirus is the key to bringing back sports to the masses. That scenario will likely mean teams will need to play in empty stadiums and when those stadiums will again fill is even harder to predict.

But, in the end, the virus and player health will dictate the schedule. If the NFL does start ramping up the season with stringent player and team personnel testing, there will still be questions from individual players about their safety.