49ers, NFL can benefit from potential 2020 COVID-19 postponement

As much as it would stink, the San Francisco 49ers could actually benefit a bit if the NFL elects to postpone the 2020 season due to the worldwide COVID-19 situation.

While no football for a while wouldn’t be fun, there are some benefits for the San Francisco 49ers if the upcoming 2020 season winds up getting delayed due to the widespread COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent situations and crises arising from it.

In a way, the NFL has been lucky… for now. MLB, the NBA and NHL have all experienced postponements. NCAA basketball’s March Madness tournament was canceled.

And fans everywhere are forced to revert back to watching classic games instead of live performances. Sometimes that’s awesome, other times it’s not.

Either way, there’s a real chance both college and pro football could be affected this upcoming season. At least that’s what ESPN’s College Gameday host Kirk Herbstreit said should be the case in an ESPN radio appearance (h/t TMZ) this week:

"I’ll be shocked if we have NFL football this fall, if we have college football. I’ll be so surprised if that happens.Just because from what I understand, people that I listen to, you’re 12 to 18 months from a [coronavirus] vaccine. I don’t know how you let these guys go into locker rooms and let stadiums be filled up and how you can play ball. I just don’t know how you can do it with the optics of it."

Yes, it stinks, potentially. But there are some possible benefits for the 49ers should this be the route taken.

The clear and obvious one is injury. Fans need not be reminded of the lengthy injury list San Francisco suffered over the course of 2019, including some notable names who went in injured reserve:

• Running back Jerick McKinnon
• Wide receiver Trent Taylor
• Wide receiver Jalen Hurd
• Nose tackle D.J. Jones
• Center Weston Richburg
• Defensive lineman Ronald Blair

All of those players missed significant time last season, and their offseason workouts have potentially been affected by both recovery and the COVID-19 situation. Plus, when considering the multitude of other players who missed time but returned, getting them up to strength and fully healthy will also have its merits.

Additionally, the 49ers played three more games last season, having gone through the playoffs and into the Super Bowl. The added wear and tear is noteworthy, too.

And then there’s the wonder if San Francisco will go through the potential “Super Bowl hangover” so many teams face after playing the big game. Without diving too deep into the specifics and causes, simplifying the term instead, hangover recoveries take time.

A little extra time might help here.

At any rate, the only known major effect right now is the 2020 NFL Draft being moved from Las Vegas and no longer allowing in-person attendance. Aside from numerous meetings and facilities being closed, it’s still business as usual.

Yet there’s a good chance the 2020 regular season winds up being postponed. But finding the proverbial silver lining isn’t a bad idea here, and the 49ers can take some advantage of it over the long run.