Getty Chase Daniel during a 2019 game against the Vikings.
The NFL figures to see some big changes in the weeks ahead, and some have already been alluded to with the rumored cancellation of 2 preseason games off the 2020 schedule.
Detroit Lions quarterback Chase Daniel has taken it a step further, hinting that might be just the beginning. According to Daniel, there are bigger changes on the horizon for the league in the wake of what has already been one of the most bizarre offseasons of all time created by the coronavirus pandemic.
Daniel explained that even more could be on the way in 2020 that would change the look and feel of the game for fans. He went so far as to say the season will be “unrecognizable” this coming year.
What Daniel means specifically is anyone’s guess, but one could surmise that he is making implications about some changes the league could propose. Some outcomes already hinted are players could have to wear specially designed equipment designed to guard against the virus, games could be played with limited capacity or without fans or more games could even get cancelled come the regular season. All of those outcomes are possible if the NFL is able to have a year in the first place. It’s going to be interesting to see how everything plays out in time.
As a player, Daniel would certainly have an inside idea of what is to come given what is going on behind the scenes, and right now, he is predicting a very different season. That should be enough to get the attention of fans in early July.
Lions 2020 Preseason Figures to be Shortened
The first shoe might be soon to drop for the league. According to a report from Pro Football Talk, the Lions along with the rest of the league are going to see 2 games sliced from the preseason schedule. For the Lions, this would mean losing games against the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills.
So, according to that @ProFootballTalk report, the Lions’ updated preseason schedule would be:
vs. Jets
at Miami
Gone: at New England, vs. Buffalo
Detroit was scheduled to do joint training camp work with the Patriots, but the NFL scrapped joint camp practices as well, so the team will lose out on the extra work they could have done in the name of safety. Cutting down the preseason will in theory reduce travel and the chances of spreading or getting coronavirus for teams.
Will the 2020 season get underway without similar cancellations? That remains to be seen, but for now, the preseason is the first to take a hit. If Daniel is right, that might only be the beginning of a weird year for fans and players alike.
Chase Daniel’s Career Statistics
After playing college football at Missouri, Daniel came into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2009. His first stop was with the Washington Redskins, and from there, he moved onto the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears. In his career, the 33 year old Daniel has put up 7 touchdowns, 1,430 yards and made a total of 5 career starts. He’s been more known as a backup than anything else.
With the Bears, Daniel has made his biggest impact. He beat the Lions on Thanksgiving Day in 2018 when Mitch Trubisky couldn’t play, and seemingly, that’s just the type of game the Lions could ask him to win in the absence of their quarterback moving forward.
Daniel comes to Detroit as a comfortable fit on the field, and it will be interesting to see if his predictions about the season come true in the end.
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Lions Quarterback Predicts ‘Unrecognizable’ 2020 NFL Season