After proposing a reduction of the preseason schedule from four games to two, the NFL has, according to multiple reports, now acquiesced to the demands of its players association, accepting the proposed elimination of the 2020 preseason in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With an understandable emphasis on completing its full, 16-game regular season, the removal of the preseason schedule reduces unnecessary risk through seemingly meaningless games, but the unintended consequence is another in an offseason full of blows to players not guaranteed roster spots. That group won't get a chance to make a lasting impression beyond the practice field.