Report: NFL unlikely to stage traditional scouting combine

The 2021 NFL Scouting Combine likely won't happen as scheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

League officials held a call Friday to address the event, and it doesn't appear any showcase resembling the traditional combine will proceed in Indianapolis, sources told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

The event will likely be split into pieces, Breer adds, with separate performance and medical components at multiple locations.

One alternative reportedly discussed during the call would involve additional formalized pro days, with team or league officials conducting combine testing and drills on college campuses.

The NFL has staged its scouting combine annually in Indianapolis since 1987, typically from the last week of February into the first week of March.

The possibility of moving the combine to April has reportedly been discussed, but that scenario could create scheduling conflicts with the draft set for April 29.

The league is reportedly expected to finalize a decision regarding the 2021 combine next week.