The NFL remains hopeful that the upcoming season will be able to start on schedule, despite the global coronavirus pandemic. While the league has not made any announcements about its plans, it is possible that games may have to be held inside empty stadiums.
That idea doesn't bother Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. According to ESPN, Cousins told reporters on a conference call that he wouldn't mind playing without all the pomp and circumstance of a typical NFL game.
"Honestly, we practice every day in an empty grass area and pump in fake crowd noise for away games," Cousins said on a conference call. "But more often than not, you're used to it. OTA practices don't have a lot of pomp and circumstance to them. So honestly, to go out and just play the game would kind of be refreshing, a breath of fresh air, to just let us know that we don't have to have all the smoke and the fire. We can just play football. So as long as we're playing the game, I won't have a lot of complaints, and hopefully if it's still not returned to normal, we can find a way to make it work."
Cousins also spoke about how the pandemic has altered his off-season routine. He was forced to cancel his training sessions with his teammates and has been doing virtual workouts at home with his trainer.
"I had my doubts, but I'm using technology to connect with my trainer, and I have enough equipment around the house that I can get a pretty good workout in," Cousins said.