2020 NFL season
The 2020 NFL season was the 101st season of the National Football League (NFL). The regular season started with the NFL Kickoff Game on September 10, in which defending Super Bowl LIV champion Kansas City defeated Houston. The playoffs were expanded from 12 to 14 teams, adding a third wild card spot per conference.[1][2][3] The season concluded with Tampa Bay defeating Kansas City in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on February 7, 2021.
This article is about the American football season in the United States. For the Gaelic football season in Ireland, see 2020 National Football League (Ireland).Regular season
After a decades-long controversy, the Washington Redskins retired the use of their name and logo and adopted the temporary placeholder name Washington Football Team, up until their official name change to Washington Commanders for the 2022 season.[4][5]
The season was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; the most prominent changes were the cancellation of all preseason games[6] and the 2021 Pro Bowl,[7] the suspension of international games for the year,[8] an allowance for players to opt out of playing the season without violating their contracts (66 players opted out),[9] the playing of games with either a greatly reduced audience or no fans at all, and the postponement and/or rescheduling of multiple games due to numerous positive COVID-19 tests among players and staff. Despite these changes, all 256 regular season games were played within the original 17-week span with no cancellations.[10]
This was also the final season played under the 16-game schedule, as the schedule was expanded to 17 games in 2021.[11]
Referee Walt Anderson was promoted to NFL senior vice president in charge of the officiating training and development program, a newly created position that works independently from the league's head of officiating, Alberto Riveron.[75] Land Clark was promoted to referee to replace Anderson. Clark previously served as a referee in the Pac-12 Conference before joining the NFL in 2018 as a field judge.[76]
Former coach Perry Fewell was named NFL senior vice president of officiating administration. This position oversees the day-to-day operations of the officiating department and is the primary contact for coaches' and general managers' officiating questions, among other duties.[77]
The NFL and the NFL Referees Association agreed on August 9 to allow officials to opt out of working the 2020 season. Officials who opted out received a $30,000 stipend and guaranteed job protection for 2021.[78] Five on-field officials – line judge Jeff Bergman, back judge Steve Freeman, field judge Greg Gautreaux, field judge Joe Larrew, and back judge Tony Steratore – opted out for the season by the August 13 deadline.[79]
The following officials were hired:
The following officials retired:
Preseason[edit]
Training camps were held from late July through August. By league order, all training camps were held at teams' regular practice facilities.[98]
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game was scheduled for August 6 between Dallas and Pittsburgh, but was canceled on June 25 due to the pandemic.[99] On July 3, the NFLPA voted to cancel the preseason, which was agreed to by the league later that month.[6][100]
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 9
Week 10
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Week 17
Wild Card Round
Divisional Round
Super Bowl LV