Report: NFL shortening preseason to two games due to COVID-19

We’ve known this for a while, but it was only a matter of time until we saw the pandemic impact the NFL schedule. Rookie mini camps were scrapped, and the NFL recently announced the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement and game would be pushed back to 2021, which was disappointing but probably inevitable.

Today, per ESPN, the NFL is cutting the preseason schedule in half, removing two games from each team’s schedule, with the official NFL announcement likely coming as soon as Thursday. To be specific, weeks one and four will be removed.

The Falcons were expected to play the Miami Dolphins during the first week and the Jacksonville Jaguars during the final week of preseason. Now, each NFL team will play one home game and one away game.

For some, this change may not seem like a big deal, and it may even be welcomed. For rookies who use these games, especially the week four finale to display what they have in hopes of making their way onto the roster, it’s another disadvantage.

With there now being only two preseason games, it’ll be interesting to see how the Falcons and the other 31 NFL teams decide how to play their roster and bubble guys. There’s a real chance a lot of starters could see their first action in the first game of the regular season.