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NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills, who is heavily involved in the league's response to the coronavirus pandemic, told NFL.com that Pash’s comments shouldn’t be seen as something that will definitely happen. He emphasized that, while starting the season on schedule is the hope, it’s too early to tell.
Sills said there would have to be widespread testing with quick results for the NFL to consider beginning the regular season during the second week of September. He doesn’t believe team sports can return if one positive test continues to mean others have to quarantine.
As far as for fans gathering in large stadiums, Sills said we won’t know how that will be dealt with until there’s a vaccine.
Overall, Sills stressed that, even though Pash indicated the plan is to start on time, things can change, and there’s no timeline to decide whether it will be OK to play in about five months.
Presently, the NFL is in a different position than the other three major professional sports leagues. The NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball are supposed to be playing games right now. The NFL isn’t, so it has time.