A shortened NFL preseason benefits 2020 Philadelphia Eagles

For the Philadelphia Eagles and the league, there’s too much uncertainty to be certain.

Sure, no one knows what the preseason schedule will look like or if there will be one, but as we sit here in early July, changes are coming and they may be coming quickly. Come late July, if the preseason gets canceled altogether, the Eagles could be one of the NFL’s biggest benefactors.

A lack of a preseason leads to doubts about the regular season and, of course, results in a loss of revenue. There’s already been substantial doubt about fan presence and player health, but a canceled preseason could be a tale of things to come.

People in the NFL and quite a few pundits have often lobbied for shorter preseasons as college football teams have always started Week 1 without the benefit of a dress rehearsal games, but surely, no one had something of this nature in mind.

Yes, it might be the veteran teams that rise above the youthful rosters in 2020, but all teams will suffer the same consequences from no preseason. Younger guys won’t get as many opportunities to showcase their skills. Depth guys won’t get the necessary reps to improve, and some veterans working back from injury won’t be able to feel out the game speed atmosphere until each contest counts against the win-loss total.

The Eagles benefit from a two-game preseason, but nobody benefits from a possible canceled preseason. Nonetheless, the NFL is expected to go on with minimal hitches in 2020, and if there is something we can be certain about, it’s the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles are walking into the 2020 campaign with thoughts of clinching a fourth straight trip into the postseason.