It’s not a good look as NFL free agency marches on during the coronavirus outbreak

In the time it takes to write this commentary, thousands of people around the world will test positive for COVID-19.

Hundreds may die.

Millions of our citizens are being told to shelter-in-place. Schools from sea to shining sea have been shuttered. Athletic events/seasons at every level have been suspended. Hundreds upon thousands are losing their jobs. 401Ks are melting away. The National Guard has been deployed in numerous states. Our country is in dire need of medical supplies to help us deal with the deadly pandemic. Congress is crafting a $1 trillion dollar rescue package to shore up households and the U.S. economy.

And I wake up wondering if quarterback Tom Brady, a.k.a. the G.O.A.T., was able to find a neutral doctor in New York City to give him a physical so he could complete his $30 million-a-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

I wonder, too, where will former game-changing running back Todd Gurley end up now that the Los Angeles Rams have set him free. An ESPN report indicates he is headed to Atlanta.

And what about quarterbacks Cam Newton, Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton? Where will they eventually land?

Furthermore, I wonder what the New Orleans Saints are going to do about a backup quarterback for Drew Brees now that lovable Teddy Bridgewater has hitched his wagon to the Carolina Panthers (three years, $63 million).

Versatile QB Taysom Hill is secure for the moment after Saints officials tendered him the highest one-year qualifying offer of $4.677 million as a restricted free agent. But the Saints need a designated backup QB in order for Hill to perform his many duties.

And I’m pleased that safety Malcolm Jenkins has returned home to New Orleans where he got his start during the 2009 Super Bowl season as a first-round pick from Ohio State.

Other than that, the new league calendar year hasn’t provided the anticipated distraction that I had hoped for after learning the NFL Players Association wanted to go ahead with the start of free agency as originally scheduled.

Some thought the NFL was being tone deaf, what with our country fighting a losing battle against a deadly pandemic, that Commissioner Roger Goodell should have stepped in and delayed the process.

I saw an argument for both sides.

But as the week wore on, and COVID-19 spun out of control in our country, affecting friends and loved ones here and elsewhere, including Saints coach Sean Payton who tested positive and is self-quarantined at home, I wish the NFL had halted the start of free agency.

The idea of Tom Brady — or any player for that matter — seeking a physical from a doctor in New York City, at a time when its five boroughs now account for 30 percent of all coronavirus cases in the U.S., in order to finalize a $30-million-a-year contract with the Buccaneers is repulsive.

If that wasn’t enough, the Buccaneers hastily raised ticket prices as much as 15 percent for new fans to cash in on Brady’s arrival.

Really? The optics are terrible. Shame on all involved.

Meantime, the U.S. government plans to come to the aid of its citizens by early April, providing monetary assistance of $1,200 per person, $2,400 per couple.

Checks are in the mail.