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Washington Football Team will play 2020 season without fans at FedEx Field

The stands at FedEx Field will be emptier than usual during the 2020 season.

Out of an “abundance of caution due to the rapidly changing dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Washington Football Team announced on Wednesday that its 2020 season at FedEx Field would be played without fans.

“We are fortunate to host the best fans in the NFL year after year, but the well-being of those supporters, along with that of our players, coaches and each and every member of our gameday staff is simply too important, and the current knowledge of COVID-19 too unpredictable, to welcome our fan base to FedEx Field to start the season,” owner Dan Snyder said in a statement. The team said it would re-evaluate if circumstances surrounding the coronavirus improved.

The stands of FedEx Field will remain empty this season. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The stands of FedEx Field will remain empty this season. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

In the statement, Snyder said the organization had attempted to come up with a plan that would keep fans safe while attending games, and had worked with local authorities, but in the end there was too much risk involved.

“This decision was not an easy one, but after several discussions with federal, state and local officials — along with input from some of the nation's foremost medical experts, based right here in the nation's capital — we are confident that it is the right one,” Snyder said. “We are working to find ways to make our fans' presence felt in new and innovative ways for 2020 and can't wait to welcome the community through the gates as soon as it's safe.”

Washington is scheduled to open its season at home against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 13.

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