Back in March, the NFL watched as the professional sports world shut down to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The NBA was forced to suspend its season, while MLB delayed the start of theirs.
At the time, there was a strong belief that the crisis would resolve itself in the coming months and football would be free to continue normally. However, that has not been the case as the pandemic has escalated, forcing the league’s teams to adapt.
The Las Vegas Raiders were forced to move their offseason program to their training facility in Henderson due to COVID-19, but now the team is just waiting to see what developments happen in the coming weeks.
According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Derek Carrier admitted that there’s some anxiousness about the current situation:
“I wouldn’t say we’re antsy, or nervous,” tight end Derek Carrier said in a phone interview Wednesday. “The season is going to come about once the NFL and NFLPA get on the same page on a return-to-play protocol. And if that’s on the 28th or whenever that may be, we’ll be ready to move forward, and in terms of the uncertainty surrounding the start of the season … it’s a little uneasy.
“We’re in uncharted territory.”
Safety Erik Harris echoed Carrier’s comments, saying that players are remaining upbeat despite all the variables:
“I couldn’t believe we got that many players out there on a consistent basis. And we talked about what’s going on and what was going to happen when training camp came around, and I think everybody is pretty positive about it. But at the same time, there are a lot of unknowns.
“No one really knows yet what’s going happen, or what the protocols are going to look like, and that’s a little crazy. And that’s concerning for players with relatives who are likely to get it … but I just want to play football, whether it’s in front of fans or not.”
Fortunately for the NFL, they are able to observe how the NBA and MLB are handling their attempts to return to play and could use their experiences to prepare for the season.
It is an unsettling time for players who have no idea how things will turn out and will need to really consider what is best for them if the pandemic does not improve in the coming weeks and months. The Raiders were set up to have an exciting debut in their new home, but it remains to be seen how all of that will work under the current circumstances.