National Football League

NFL Considering Playoff Bubble

Published Aug. 19, 2020 9:20 p.m. ET

While the NFL regular season is set to kick off following its usual format, the league is considering a postseason bubble concept, according to executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent.

Vincent said that New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton posed the idea during a recent competition committee meeting.

The Saints organization is currently operating in what the team has coined a "soft bubble" since the start of training camp. The club created an optional, exclusive hotel in downtown New Orleans, where staff and more than two-thirds of the players are staying.

The Saints have had three positive cases since camp opened.

The Dallas Cowboys have also implemented a similar soft bubble situation.

So far, the league has not made any decisions, and Vincent also pointed to the legal implications of creating a bubble and the need to be aligned with the NFLPA. But he said that the NFL is exploring all options for how to proceed with play while ensuring health and safety.

Bubble concepts with players, coaches and essential staff have been successful for the NBA, NHL, WNBA, MLS and NWSL as they have resumed play. The NFL weighed all options, but opted against market bubbles, due to the length of the regular season.

Instead, the league created strict guidelines that franchises must follow to combat the spread of coronavirus, and the protocols so far have been successful. As of Tuesday, only 10 players remained on the league's reserve/COVID-19 list.

Super Bowl LV is set for Feb. 7 at Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium, and the postseason, as part of the league's newly agreed-upon CBA, features an expanded 14-team field this upcoming season.