Ro's Recz

Although Super Bowl 55 sadly did not live up to the pregame hype, I would still consider the NFL season an extraordinary success. In what was the most challenging season ever for the players, coaches, and teams, the NFL proved that it could successfully adapt to any challenge it faces.

In this ESPN article titled “How the NFL navigated COVID-19 this season, 959,860 Tests, $100 Million and Zero Cancellations”, writer Kevin Seifert breaks down the protocols and safety measures the NFL took to keep this season going on. I think the article is great because it details the immense sacrifices that all of the players had to put in for almost half a year, and how any small slip up could end up putting the rest of your team in danger.

Seifert details how the NFL managed to keep an overall league positivity rate of 0.076% throughout the entire season, compared to the national average of 6.8%. This is all while the NFL was playing football (about as much contact as any sport) and having players travel from city to city each week. This demonstrates how with the proper protocols and commitment from everyone, COVID-19 can be managed (although not completely neutralized).

If you are an NFL or sports fan, I think this article is a must-read just so you can appreciate everything the league did to give its fans a show each week. While everyone was stuck at home in quarantine, watching the NFL and playing fantasy football was something that any sports fan could enjoy. Also, the article goes into much more depth than I went to about the whole process, so I would recommend reading the entire thing rather than just my quick summary of it!