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The NFL has been planning its schedule release for the week of May 4th, and it is set to happen on time, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy confirmed it will happen and will reflect a full season that starts on time on September 10th and wraps up with Super Bowl 55 on February 7th. The specific date of release has been reported in the range of the 7th to the 9th.
The NFL has been planning for a variety of contingencies amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. There is the potential for a start as late as Week 6, no byes or Pro Bowl, and a Super Bowl as late as the final week of February.
One thing the NFL is not considering at this point, according to Fowler, “is gathering players at a centralized location to execute a season.” The NBA and MLB are considering that as an option amidst several hypotheticals, but Fowler is hearing the NFL is not planning on that kind of option. That makes sense given NFL games feature 53-man rosters, double the MLB roster size.