Kirby Lee - USA Today Sports
Kirby Lee - USA Today Sports

NFL responds to Dr. Fauci's comments


by - Senior Editor -

Dr. Fauci's words mean a lot during this global pandemic which many are dealing with on a daily basis.

The health expert was asked on CNN on Thursday about the possibility of the NFL playing football in 2020.

"Unless players are essentially in a bubble -- insulated from the community and they are tested nearly every day -- it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall," he said during the interview. If there is a second wave, which is certainly a possibility and which would be complicated by the predictable flu season, football may not happen this year."

The NFL's Chief Medical Officer Allen Stills had the following rebuttal to Fauci's comments.

“Dr. Fauci has identified the important health and safety issues we and the NFL Players Association, together with our joint medical advisors, are addressing to mitigate the health risk to players, coaches and other essential personnel,” Sills said. “We are developing a comprehensive and rapid-result testing program and rigorous protocols that call for a shared responsibility from everyone inside our football ecosystem. This is based on the collective guidance of public health officials, including the White House task force, the CDC, infectious disease experts, and other sports leagues.

"Make no mistake, this is no easy task. We will make adjustments as necessary to meet the public health environment as we prepare to play the 2020 season as scheduled with increased protocols and safety measures for all players, personnel and attendees," Sills said. "We will be flexible and adaptable in this environment to adjust to the virus as needed."

Training camp for most NFL teams is going to be ramped up on July 28.

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