Report: Team officials skeptical NFL league year will start as scheduled

The NFL has said it intends to begin its new league year and free agency Wednesday as scheduled, but some around the league aren't convinced.

Multiple team officials have expressed skepticism that the NFL schedule can proceed normally amid the coronavirus pandemic, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Others believe the league will reverse course Sunday, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Many expect the NFL to change its plans tomorrow, after the CBA vote ends tonight. The thinking is that the NFL doesn't want to open the door for further delays in player voting by postponing the start of the league year before Sunday. https://t.co/xoRiUEkEl8

- ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 14, 2020

The legal tampering period is slated to begin Monday at noon ET. The franchise/transition tag deadline is set for one second before that after being pushed back from March 10 due to issues related to the collective bargaining agreement.

Some have criticized the NFL for not delaying free agency, arguing players signing big-money contracts while the world deals with the COVID-19 crisis would be a tone-deaf exercise.

Moreover, free agency usually requires players to visit teams and undergo physicals, and many governments and health agencies are advising against unnecessary travel amid the push for social distancing to combat the outbreak.

Copyright (C) 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.