Joe Judge, the new coach of the New York Giants and former assistant with the Patriots, hopes the Giants have their preseason in New Jersey, but like the rest of the league, “we’re planning for a lot of hypotheticals to make sure if they come up, we’re not caught by surprise,” he said. Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

For the NFL to have a 2020 season as planned amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, the league and the owners of the 32 teams may have to construct the puzzle piece-by-piece.

The possibilities that some teams might have to be relocated based on local restrictions, either for training camps or for the season, and that some games may have to be rescheduled were underscored this week with the news that Los Angeles County could extend its safer-at-home order for three months even while easing some restrictions.

The NFL’s two L.A.-based franchises, the Rams and the Chargers, have training facilities in nearby counties. But SoFi Stadium, the palatial $5 billion venue being constructed to host both teams’ home games beginning this season, is in Los Angeles County.

“We are preparing to play the 2020 NFL season as scheduled and with increased protocols and safety measures for all players, personnel and attendees,” the league said in a written statement issued through a spokesman. “This includes games at SoFi Stadium. We will be prepared to make adjustments as necessary, as we have during this offseason, demonstrating that we can safely and efficiently conduct key activities, such as free agency, the virtual offseason program and the 2020 NFL Draft.”

League leaders and owners will have some collective matters to resolve as the NFL seeks a full and on-time season. The league is developing protocols for players, coaches, team staffers and fans while hoping to have sufficient access to testing to put those protocols to effective use. But those leaguewide considerations will not be all that determine what a prospective football season would look like.

There also could be a series of local issues that must be faced – team-by-team, state-by-state, perhaps county-by-county – as the league and owners figure out which teams will be permitted, based on guidelines in that area, to have practices and play games, under what conditions and when.

It could be an ever-shifting set of circumstances, as teams’ locales could be under widely varying sets of public health directives that also could dictate how many fans are permitted into stadiums. The NFL has time on its side, with training camps set to open in late July for an on-time season in September. The first regular-season game at SoFi Stadium is scheduled for Sept. 13, when the Rams are to host the Dallas Cowboys.

“We will continue to make decisions based on the latest advice of medical and public health officials, as well as in full compliance with current and future government regulations,” the NFL said in its statement. “Our primary focus will be on protecting the health of our fans, players, club and league personnel and our communities.”

The issues in L.A. County come after Jeffrey Smith, the executive officer of California’s Santa Clara County, told the county’s board of supervisors last month that “we’d be lucky” to have sporting events by Thanksgiving. The county is home to the San Francisco 49ers. The circumstances in California have produced speculation that the Rams, Chargers and 49ers could end up playing their home games in another city or state, perhaps in Glendale, Arizona, with the Cardinals or in Las Vegas with the Raiders.

If the California teams are forced out of the state for training camps, perhaps they would be able to return for the season. The NFL and the teams also could end up weighing the merits of playing games in California in front of few or no fans versus the prospect of playing those games elsewhere before larger crowds.

Doug Ducey, Arizona’s Republican governor, announced this week that professional sports can resume Saturday in the state without fans in attendance. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, is inviting out-of-state teams to relocate to his state.

“What I would tell commissioners of leagues is if you have a team in an area where they just won’t let them operate,” DeSantis said at a news conference this week, “we’ll find a place for you here in the state of Florida because we think it’s important and we know that it can be done safely.”

Issues could arise in other cities and states. New York, which has had far more coronavirus cases and deaths than any other state, has one NFL team, the Buffalo Bills. Two more, the Giants and Jets, play just outside New York City in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Giants Coach Joe Judge told reporters during a video conference this week that the team hopes to hold its training camp at its complex but is exploring other potential sites.

“Hopefully in a perfect world, we’re all back together in New Jersey training sooner than later,” Judge said, according to the team’s website. “But we’re planning for a lot of hypotheticals to make sure if they come up, we’re not caught by surprise.”

As states reopen their economies and health experts warn of a potential spike in cases if those reopenings are done too soon, states and cities that seem relatively stable now potentially could become problem areas later. Things may calm down in places that currently are problematic. The NFL must be ready to adjust.

“I think there should be enough tests available to make sure that we’re safe on the field,” Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper told CNBC this week. “As far as fans in the stadium . . . you won’t be having full stadiums. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have some fans in the stadium, either. If you’re comfortable being in a closed airplane for a cross-country trip, you know, 18 inches apart – maybe with two seats in between you and being five feet away from each other, you might be comfortable in an open-air stadium. Maybe, right?”