Roger Goodell on 2020 NFL Season Amid COVID-19: 'We Will Be Ready to Play'

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell remains optimistic that the league will be able to play the 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic.   

Appearing on ESPN's Get Up, Goodell said the NFL is "making sure" it's doing things right with regard to the health and safety of everyone involved and "we will be ready to play" when the season begins. 

The NFL has been forced to adjust its offseason calendar due to the pandemic, including banning in-person visits between teams and draft-eligible players and turning the draft into a virtual event with personnel from all 32 teams operating from their homes. 

Another change has been the release of the schedule, which would normally come out prior to the draft. Goodell said on The Rich Eisen Show last week that the 2020 schedule will be released no later than May 9. 

In the event the NFL regular season is impacted by the pandemic, Mark Maske of the Washington Post noted the league has discussed contingency plans for a shorter schedule and playing in empty stadiums. 

The 2020 NFL regular season is scheduled to run from Sept. 10 through Jan. 3. 

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Bleacher Report's David Gardner interviews athletes and other sports figures for the podcast How to Survive Without Sports.