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By Jon Machota 20m ago
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Thursday that this year’s Hall of Fame game between the Cowboys and Steelers has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement also included that the Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony on Aug. 8 has been postponed until 2021. Former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson is part of this year’s Hall of Fame class.
With all of that in mind, one has to wonder how COVID-19 could impact the NFL’s 2020 regular season. Will there still be a full 16-game schedule? Could a large number of players and staff testing positive for the coronavirus lead to the league trimming down its original schedule or possibly even canceling the season?
In an attempt to give some projections on those questions as well as several other Cowboys-related topics, we’ve put together a top-10 list of things most likely and least likely to happen over the next six to eight months.
We’re beginning with the most likely and counting down to the least likely.
1.) The NFL has some type of season. It might not be the full 16 games, and fans might not be able to attend, but this scenario would mean some type of 2020 NFL season. Even this isn’t a 100 percent guarantee. There’s still so much uncertainty about how teams will be able to practice, much less play games with a full roster. Several NFL players, including Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott, have already tested positive for the coronavirus. It seems likely that those numbers will increase once teams are back together for training camps. That could lead to teams suspending camp, eliminating most of the preseason or postponing the start of the regular season. A lot could change over the next few months, but the NFL seems ready to do whatever possible to have some type of season this fall.
2.) The NFL has a full 16-game season. At this time, it seems more likely that the league will have to adjust to positive tests, potentially forcing teams to trim their schedules down. That leads to questions about how many games would need to be played to have a full season. Major League Baseball is planning on a 60-game season, 102 fewer games than a normal year. One would think NFL teams would have to play at least 10 regular-season games to hold a season. Again, all of this could change depending on the impact of the coronavirus, but some adjustments seem realistic.
3.) Dak Prescott gets a long-term deal finalized with the Cowboys by the July 15 franchise-tag deadline. The two sides don’t appear to be any closer in contract talks than they were a few months ago, but deadlines have a history of making deals in Dallas. A safe current projection would be roughly 50-50 a long-term deal gets done at the deadline. Even without one, Prescott recently signed his franchise-tag tender, which means he is under contact for the 2020 season at the very least.
4.) The Cowboys win the NFC East. The division should come down to the Cowboys and Eagles for the fifth consecutive season. They’ve rotated off the last four years, but Dallas has a lot more uncertainty considering the new coaching staff and an unprecedented offseason to try to get everyone up to speed. A lot of factors go into winning a division. There could be an excessive number of injuries. There could be some growing pains with a new staff. Maybe the roster isn’t as good as it looks on paper. With all of that taken into consideration, the Cowboys should be in the conversation to win the NFC East for the fourth time in seven years.
5.) There’s no NFL season. The worst-case scenario. Maybe this should be higher. There is just so much uncertainty, especially considering that teams haven’t even started practicing. There will be a lot of adjusting on the fly, but there remains hope that some type of season will be played.
6.) The Cowboys add a proven pass rusher either via free agency or trade. The names Jadeveon Clowney and Everson Griffen immediately come to mind when discussing this topic. Both are still free agents. Pro Football Network draft analyst Tony Pauline recently said that the Cowboys and Saints are at the top of Clowney’s wish list. If Dallas were to make this happen, it probably wouldn’t be a long-term deal. It’s much more likely it would be on a one-year, somewhat team-friendly contract, allowing Clowney to get back into free agency next offseason. There’s also always the possibility of a trade. Either way, pass rusher is an intriguing position for the Cowboys after losing Robert Quinn in free agency. Their most significant offseason additions in that area have been signing Aldon Smith, who hasn’t played since 2015, and drafting Bradlee Anae late in the fifth round.
7.) The Cowboys trade for Jamal Adams. Some might think that all the offseason chatter about Adams and the Cowboys should make this higher on the list. It actually could be lower. How often does a player publicly say where they want to get traded and it ends up happening? The Cowboys showed at the trade deadline last season that they have interest in Adams, but that doesn’t mean they’re willing to meet New York’s potentially lofty demands. While Adams is an All-Pro safety, Dallas hasn’t invested significantly in the position in a long time. It’s possible, but it just doesn’t seem very likely right now.
8.) Jerry Jones puts Jimmy Johnson in the Ring of Honor. Their feud isn’t nearly what it used to be, but it’s highly unlikely that Jones would put the two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach in the team’s Ring of Honor this year. Jones was hesitant about the possibility when asked at the combine in February. Johnson will eventually be in the Ring of Honor, but don’t expect it to happen in 2020.
9.) The Cowboys reach the NFC Championship game. It’s much more likely that the Cowboys win nine or 10 games and make the playoffs but fail to get past the divisional round. Reaching the NFC Championship game would end a 24-year drought. It’s understandable that a new coaching staff brings new hope, but not having a normal offseason has to hurt the chances of the team finally taking the next step.
10.) The Cowboys reach the Super Bowl. This is the most unlikely scenario because so much would have to go right for it to happen. First, the NFL would have to have a full season and playoffs. Second, the team and new coaching staff would have to fit together perfectly. Third, there would need to be some excellent breaks both on the field and in the health department. It’s a league of great parity, so it’s possible. But it just seems like a lot to expect from a group of new coaches trying to make changes while navigating through a pandemic.
