2022 NFL Preseason To Be Cut Short

According to John Breech of CBS Sports, the NFL preseason will not have half of their games this year because of COVID-19. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says, "There will be two weeks worth of missed preseason games." Games starting in Week 1 and going through Week 4 will not be played. The Hall of Fame Game, which is played every August, was already canceled this year.

It is possible that the entire preseason could be canceled, but there has been no final decision on the matter.

Canceling the preseason has been discussed by the league since the beginning of June. It is not a complete shock, but the NFL wanted to come up with a solution as soon as possible.

Weeks 2 and 3 are still scheduled to be played, but weeks 1 and 4 have already been canceled. There is a  possibility that weeks 2 and 3 could also be canceled. According to the Miami Herald, there will be one home and away game for every team. The NFL will reshuffle the teams' schedule in weeks 2 and 3 because of weeks 1 and 4 being canceled.

According to Pro FootballTalk, the NFL chose not to play the preseason games in weeks 1 and 4. The first week was canceled because the players needed time to warm up and practice for the upcoming games. Week 4 did not happen because a lot of starters don't participate in the games.

Even though a good portion of the preseason has already been canceled, the league feels confident there will be football played this upcoming fall. Thom Mayer, who is the NFLPA (National Football League Players Association) medical director, says "players will likely be tested up to three times per week to prevent the spread of the virus."

There have already been changes to the 2020 football season. A tarp will be on the six to eight rows near the top of the stadiums. Another rule that has been discussed is having people sign a waiver if they want to come to the stadium.