Report: NFL to cancel 2 weeks of 2020 preseason

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The NFL is expected to announce on Thursday that it will cut the 2020 preseason schedule in half down from four games to two, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.

In an offseason that’s already been adjusted due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL will cut week one and week four of the scheduled scrimmages to allow for extra practice time and help teams with travel, Florio reports.

No NFL team has had an opportunity to practice on the field since the pandemic fully hit the country in March. The league’s decision would give players and coaches more time to acclimate to the new season.

With the elimination of two preseason games, each team would have to travel one less time before the regular season is expected to get underway with the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans on Sept. 10.

The NFL’s annual Hall of Fame game to kick off the NFL preseason was canceled last week. The Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers were expected to play in the game from Canton, Ohio on August 6.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2020 enshrinement ceremony, originally scheduled for August 8, has been postponed.