NFL is considering having a possible playoff bubble after talks with league execs

Sean Payton broached the topic during a recent call with the competition committee

For over a month, the NBA and NHL have been operating under a bubble in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. And while the NFL will not be following suit when the league beings play in September, talks have begun about having the 2020 postseason occur inside a bubble. Saints' coach Sean Payton, during a call with the rest of the league's competition committee, broached the topic with the NFL, according to CBS NFL Insider Jason La Canfora. When asked about the possibility of a playoff bubble, NFL VP of Football Operations Troy Vincent said that all options are on the table, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano.

Payton and the Saints have been operating under what the team is calling a "soft bubble" since opening training camp. The team has received exclusive access to a hotel in downtown New Orleans, with players and staff having the option of staying at the hotel. More than two-thirds of the Saints' players are staying in the "bubble," according to USA Today.

"All I'm trying to do is just reduce those stories," said Payton, who tested positive for COVID-19 during the spring. "Look, it's not foolproof. I told them, 'If you need to go home and see your kids, go.' This isn't mandatory. Even for the staff. But at least we're trying to reduce the possible variables that come into going home and coming back to work."

While the Saints have just three positive cases since beginning camp, Payton is not resting on his laurels.

"Just when you think everything is good, bam! We'll have eight," Payton said. "That's how this guy works. This isn't like we've got this figured out. Man, we don't have this figured out."

While nothing is full-proof, the NBA and NHL have had significantly more success than MLB as it relates to having positive cases. MLB, which is not operating under a bubble, has had a slew of canceled games due to positive cases, while the NHL and NBA have avoided having any major stoppages since entering their respective bubbles.

If the NFL decides to have a postseason bubble, they will likely look into having them in cities that have a warm climate and/or inside domes in order to decrease the odds of postponements. As it currently stands, Super Bowl LV is slated to be played at Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium on February 7, 2021. The NFL, as part of the league's newly agreed-upon CBA, will have an expanded 14-team playoff in 2020.