What happens if the Ravens are forced to forfeit? originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
If there is a forfeiture by the Ravens against the Steelers, not only will they receive a loss in the standings, but neither side will earn their paychecks, according to Adam Schefter.
The latest is another added variable into the equation of what to do with Sunday’s Ravens-Steelers game as there now appears to be three options as to what to do.
They could play Sunday, or perhaps even Monday or Tuesday with some significant schedule re-arrangement next week and try their best to get the AFC North matchup in. But the final, last-ditch option would be to declare a forfeit by the Ravens.
In early October, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell warned that teams violating league protocols would result in lost draft picks or, potentially, a forfeit of a particular game. On Wednesday night, the Ravens disciplined a staff member for breaking COVID-19 conduct policies.
This option appears unlikely, as the league would have to be sure the virus did not spread explicitly through misconduct by the Ravens’ organization, or in this case, one staff member. In other words, the league would have to complete an investigation and prove that the outbreak was caused solely by breaking the rules and not other methods. COVID-19 is a highly contagious virus, there would have to be proof the Ravens could’ve prevented the forfeiture.
It’s a situation no one wants, not even the Steelers, as they won’t get paid for a game if there simply isn’t one.
No NFL team has ever officially forfeited a game in the modern era.
