DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 11: Free safety Darian Stewart #26 of the Denver Broncos tackles running back Melvin Gordon #28 of the Los Angeles Chargers in the third quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on September 11, 2017 in Denver, Colorado.
Although we may not know when the 2020 NFL season will actually start given the unpredictability of the coronavirus pandemic, it is that it is likely that there will not be NFL fans present in the stands or at least in a limited amount during some of the season. Some NFL players, like Philadelphia Eagles’ wide receiver DeSean Jackson, think that if there are now fans in the stands, players should be mic’d up.
While appearing on the Outside the Lane podcast, Jackson said that if there are no fans present, miking up players can be an opportunity for the league to give its fans a peek behind the curtain for an NFL game. “I think they should,” Jackson said. “They should give fans the [insight] to see what really goes on between the white lines. It gets crazy, bro. I know in the trenches it gets crazy. And I know on the outside it gets crazy, too, the conversations we go back and forth on.”
Despite some players like Melvin Gordon being prepared to play without fans, the majority of players have never had the experience where there will be no one present. Jackson said that there will be a definite adjustment for players. “At the end of the day, we’re professionals, I think we’ll all adapt to it. It’ll definitely be weird at first, but hopefully they can figure out [an alternative] because I definitely think a lot of teams and players feed off the energy.”
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Other players share Jackson’s sentiment, like Atlanta Falcons center Alex Mack, saying that he is open to the idea that Jackson has proposed. “I like the idea of finding new ways to entertain people and add the second level of sports viewing for people at home, because it’s all we have.” Mack suggested that maybe fans can park in their cars outside the stadium like a drive-in movie theater to watch the game.
Teams have been preparing as to whether or not fans will be present at games this year, but to quote Jackson, “it’s gonna definitely be a culture shock.”
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