The NFL may have to shorten its preseason to two games this year, and the cancelation of the Hall of Fame Game could be the first step toward doing that.
With the Hall of Fame Game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys no longer taking place on Aug. 6, Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports that the cancelation could be part of the NFL’s plan to move from four preseason games to two.
The cancellation of the Hall of Fame Game due to the coronavirus pandemic could be part of a shortening of the NFL preseason from four (or five, in the case of the Cowboys and Steelers) to two games per team. NFL owners are to speak by video conference this afternoon.
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) June 25, 2020
The NFL has tried to stick to its normal offseason schedule, having already held a virtual draft and free agency at their usual times. However, that did not seem sustainable all the way through to Week 1. The league has reportedly been looking into the possibility of shortening the preseason to two games to allow more preparation time to work out details of health and safety protocols. It would not be a surprise if canceling the Hall of Fame Game is part of that plan.
Starting next year, the preseason will be shorted to three games to allow for a 17-game regular season. Fans have been overwhelmingly receptive to that change, and the same would almost certainly be true if the NFL eliminates two exhibition games this year.
