NFL Won't Reschedule Games For Competitive Considerations, Roger Goodell Says

As the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens play the first Wednesday afternoon game in NFL history, commissioner Roger Goodell is reminding everyone of the league's current scheduling policy.

“Let me be crystal clear as we have been with our clubs since March: All medical decisions have and always will take precedence over competitive considerations and business interests,” Goodell said on a conference call Wednesday.

The questions about "competitive considerations" were mostly related to the Denver Broncos, who benched all three quarterbacks because of COVID issues. They ended up using practice squad receiver Kendall Hilton in Sunday's 31-3 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

But Goodell said it's just the type of year this is and that replacement players will need to be utilized regularly.

“As we discussed in October at the fall league meeting, we will not postpone or reschedule games due to COVID issues affecting multiple players, even within a position group, if we feel comfortable that the rest of the team is not at risk,” Goodell said.

“This was exactly the case in Denver. Isolating high-risk contacts, like we did in Denver, is a key component of our protocols and our health-and-safety-first approach. The data shows it’s working. In fact, more than 20 individuals have been identified over the season as high-risk close contacts that have turned positive.”