The NFL needs to speak up and bring clarity to the upcoming schedule

It affects every part of society. Where uncertainty lies, speculation destroys. And while many feel the NFL is going to continue with the key dates of their offseason schedule as planned, various reports have been hitting the Internet with major changes to some of the NFL’s biggest events.

One such report came out on Saturday regarding how the NFL is planning to handle the NFL draft at the end of April. Although highly disputed, Hub Arkush of Pro Football Weekly reported the NFL has already privately made the decision to move the 2020 draft from Las Vegas and push the date back into May.

The report has been highly questioned among various different media sources. The NFL has stated constantly there are no plans to change the date or location of the 2020 NFL draft although the procedures involved may be altered.

With the suspension of all other major sports leagues in the United States due to the coronavirus outbreak, the NFL is still determining what steps they will take in changing their offseason activities to better protect players, team personnel, and league employees. As we await the results of the vote by the NFL Player Association on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement which would begin in 2020, the league may be preparing announcements for various changes once the vote is concluded. While trying to uphold the integrity of the voting process, it is unclear if both the NFL and NFLPA have decided jointly to hold off on other announcements until the votes have been cast. Regardless, major changes to the NFL’s offseason schedule could be coming very soon.

With the NFL’s league year set to start at 4 PM this Wednesday, March 18, there will be a small window of time in order to change various dates coming up this offseason. Of course, the biggest event is the NFL draft set to be held in Las Vegas April 23-25. If the report by Pro Football Weekly holds any kind of accuracy, the decision to move the draft both in location and date Is a possibility.

Unfortunately, the NFL isn’t providing much confidence with how they are proceeding. New Orleans Saints’ head coach Sean Payton stated in an interview on Saturday he believes the NFL will have to push back the start of the league year. As a member of the competition committee along with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, many believe Peyton would have a better feel for the situation. But because of the CBA vote, the NFL is leaving most of us up in the air with what they are really planning.

Whether it be the draft, the start of the league year, or other various functions of the NFL, there should be plenty of announcements as to how business is going to change over the next several weeks as the entire nation takes precautionary measures to help in reducing the spread of the coronavirus. As these changes in events unfold, you can certainly stay tuned to Behind The Steel Curtain for breaking news, player updates, and all things Pittsburgh Steelers.