The NFL is reportedly not planning to use a bubble system anytime soon.
The league is currently grappling with serious coronavirus issues as the Tennessee Titans have major problems and the New England Patriots had another player test positive after Cam Newton. Will the NFL move to a bubble system within home markets? It sounds like the answer to that question is almost certainly not. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
The Washington Post reported the following on the idea:
The NFL is not giving serious consideration to pausing the season or going to home market bubbles with mandatory hotel stays for players, coaches and team staffers when they leave team facilities each day, according to a person with knowledge of the league’s thinking.
I just don’t see a bubble system being necessary for the NFL. Unlike the NBA, which features rosters of about a dozen players, NFL rosters are stacked with 53 active players and then the practice squad is loaded up.
Three positive coronavirus tests on an NBA team would be a gigantic problem. It really wouldn’t be that big of a deal on an NFL team as long as the locker room didn’t get hammered.
For that reason alone, a bubble isn’t really necessary. Plus, you can guarantee the NFLPA would fight the bubble idea at every turn.
Now, the NFL clearly has to do something because the Titans have already had one game postponed, and it looks like their game against the Bills is on the rocks.
What should happen? I have no idea, but I’m not buying the bubble system within home markets as necessary or realistic.
We’ll see what Roger Goodell ends up doing, but a bubble system almost certainly isn’t going to happen.