Cowboys-Steelers Hall of Fame Game canceled, ceremony postponed

The NFL has canceled the Hall of Fame Game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 6, along with postponing the enshrinement ceremony, which was scheduled for Aug. 8.

Typically, the Hall of Fame Game is the unofficial start of the football season, as it is the first time fans can watch players back on the field since the Super Bowl. But in the wake of the pandemic, the idea of holding a single preseason game in Canton, Ohio, sounds like a logistical nightmare.

The Cowboys and Steelers are expected to play in the 2021 Hall of Fame Game, while the NFL's plan for the Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony is currently unknown. In May, the Basketball Hall of Fame announced that it would be delaying its ceremony for a year so it seems like the NFL will do the same.

Up to this point, the NFL has been able to keep things going on schedule despite COVID-19, as free agency and the draft were merely modified by the pandemic. However, now that games are actually on the horizon, the league is going to really have to figure out how its schedule is going to work.

The cancellation of the game will likely change when the Steelers and Cowboys report to training camp, as they would have been the first two teams to report since their game was played days before other teams. Most teams are scheduled to report to training camp July 28 but the league is reportedly discussing if that is still a realistic timeline.