Raiders' head coach Jon Gruden believes this will be the NFL's 'toughest opponent'
Several players have already announced plans to opt out of the season
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden believes that the “toughest opponent” all 32 NFL teams will have to face this season is the pandemic.
Gruden told The Athletic in an article published Tuesday that the focus this season will be on safety above all as the NFL enters “unprecedented territory.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Hopefully, we can beat the virus. The Chiefs are great — unfortunately we have to play them twice — but we got the toughest opponent … we gotta beat this virus, man. You and me and everybody else, and hopefully somebody comes up with a cure soon.”
He continued: “It’s tough. It’s a tough, tough, tough job right now — and it’s not just football. Humanity is a big part of this, you know what I am saying? Your team, your family, your fans, the city of Las Vegas, the world — you worry about everybody. There is no answer for this. … There are safety measures that we’re trying to use, but it’s unprecedented territory for you and me and everybody else.”
The NFL and the NFLPA have discussed extensive measures that will need to be taken to ensure player safety, which included canceling the entire preseason. But as sports makes a slow return, MLB’s outbreak of COVID-19 within the Miami Marlins has many speculating if the NFL will need to adopt a bubble scenario like the NBA and NHL.
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Players in the NFL have been given the option to opt out of the season and a number of them have already announced plans to do so. The New England Patriots have been impacted the most, with at least six players announcing plans to sit this season out.