NFL analyst and host of the syndicated show ‘To The Point,’ Eric Mitchell joined NewsNation to discuss what fans can expect from the upcoming season amid a global pandemic and calls for social justice in the U.S.

CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — The National Football League is kicking off its 2020-2021 season Thursday.

It will be a noticeably different season due to the global pandemic and calls for social justice in the United States.

Daily testing for COVID-19, except on game days, has been extended into the regular season by the NFL and the players’ union.

All players and other team personnel categorized in Tiers 1 and 2 will continue to be tested each day, a process that has worked relatively well for the league as it approaches the first game on Thursday night in Kansas City. With no testing on game days, the pregame coronavirus exams will be conducted on the day before the game and must be completed before a club travels.

NFL Players Association President JC Tretter of the Cleveland Browns recently called for a continuation of daily testing.

In a memo Saturday to all 32 teams, the protocols for the upcoming season were detailed. They include masks being recommended but not required for players on the sidelines, except in San Francisco and Buffalo, where local regulations require them; access to team facilities on the day after a game for players and anyone else in Tiers 1 and 2 being prohibited unless they require medical treatment or the club has a short week; no travel to an away game on the day of the game; and reducing coin toss participants to one per team, with face coverings.