Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh Steelers. (Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher and his wife tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this year.
As the NFL prepares for a season in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Bill Cowher revealed he tested positive for the illness back in March upon returning from Honolulu. In doing so, Cowher has reflected on the likelihood of an NFL season at all, having a better understanding of exactly how tough it is to overcome not just the illness, but the societal fear factor.
Cowher discussed his doubts with Ed Bouchette of The Athletic, and such indecisiveness from a man who’s lived and breathed football for decades only brings more credence to the argument that NFL games during a pandemic might not be a great idea after all.
Bill Cowher has doubts about a 2020 NFL season after testing positive for COVID-19.
Cowher and his wife have since recovered, but the concerns remain.
“I mean, there’s so much anxiety and worry about what’s next, to do the right thing because it varies from state to state,” Cowher said. “…I totally understand the reluctance. Even though they say young people aren’t getting it, you also have people who have asthma, people who have underlying conditions in their families — they’re going back to their homes with parents who may now be elderly. It’s not like you can isolate yourself from everybody, particularly during a season that’s five months long.”
Cowher’s best point is that NFL players would have to remain away from their families, and in relative isolation, for upwards to five months. While other sports have either shortened their seasons or are merely finishing out the campaign, the NFL will be starting from scratch.
Unless there’s a tremendous improvement in the national psyche, or a vaccine (which appears highly unlikely), then NFL players will be asked to do the unthinkable, serving as a distraction while their loved ones take care of themselves.