For the first time in a year full of cancellations and postponements, an NFL game has been put on the chopping block.
ESPN reported Thursday that the NFL will cancel the scheduled August 6 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game between the Cowboys and Steelers and postpone the August 8 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony due to pandemic-related concerns. While the pandemic has wreaked havoc on the other leagues, the NFL was able to complete its playoffs before conditions deteriorated in March and hold its April NFL Draft as scheduled, albeit in an altered virtual format.
The Hall of Fame Game has been canceled before, and recently. The 2011 game was canceled due to league owners’ lockout of the players, while the 2016 game was called off due to poor field conditions.
The Cowboys and Steelers are expected to play in next year’s Hall of Fame Game.
Earlier this month, NFL Network reported that that the league and the NFL Players Association were in discussions about shortening this year’s preseason from four to two games per team. That change is supposed to occur regardless starting next year, under the new collective bargaining agreement the league struck in March.
[News from ESPN.com 6.25, NFL.com 6.10]
