Steelers' Monday Night Opener to Be Played Without Fans

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced MetLife Stadium will not hold fans indefinitely.

PITTSBURGH -- The Steelers will travel on the road to MetLife Stadium to open their 2020 season against the New York Giants on Monday night. The game, currently scheduled for Sept. 14, is set to take place without fans in attendance. 

"Today Governor [Phil] Murphy announced that, due to the ongoing public health crisis, his Executive Order limiting outdoor public gatherings will apply to events at MetLife Stadium until further notice," the Giants released in a statement. "This decision was reached after careful consideration of the current state of the COVID crisis, in discussions with our team, and in consideration of the health and safety of our fans, players and staff, which will continue to be our primary focus."

The joint statement came from both the Giants and New York Jets, stating they support the Governor's decision to play games without fan attendance for the time being.

"Although we would prefer to have fans at MetLife Stadium for our games, we will continue to work with Governor Murphy's office and will provide updates if necessary," the statement wrote. "... We urge our fans to continue to take the necessary precautions recommended by health officials to stay safe and we look forward to seeing you at MetLife Stadium as soon as possible."

The Steelers announced this month that they will limit the number of fans in attendance and will require a facemask when in the stadium. 

“Our goal is to still have fans at Heinz Field this year with the understanding that social distancing, as well as all fans being required to wear masks, will play a role in the capacity to ensure a safe atmosphere,” Steelers director of communications, Burt Lauten said in a statement. “We will continue to work with the NFL and public health officials to finalize plans for fans to attend our home games.”

Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.