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In ongoing discussions, team owners and the players’ union are considering how to spread out reductions in the salary cap if few or no fans attend games this fall.

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N.F.L. team owners and the players’ union, chastened by the spread of the coronavirus and mindful of other professional leagues’ struggles to return to play, are considering playing the 2020 regular season with few or no fans in attendance and are actively discussing how to absorb lost revenue potentially worth billions, according to three people briefed on the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to discuss the matter publicly.

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The owners, who spoke by conference call as recently as Tuesday, are weighing with the union how to spread out the losses over several years by lowering the salary cap, which governs how much teams can spend on player salaries.

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At the same time, the owners are exploring ways to increase revenue generated by each team, including expanding sponsorships and other local initiatives. Last week, the league approved a plan to let teams cover the seats closest to the field with a tarp adorned with a sponsor’s logo.

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Some owners have been negotiating with the N.F.L. Players Association to determine how long to spread out the hit to the salary cap, though no formal proposals have been exchanged, the people briefed on the discussion said. Two people briefed on the talks said the owners hope to reach an agreement with the union by the end of the month, when training camps are scheduled to open.

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Spokesmen for the N.F.L. and the players’ union declined to comment on the negotiations.

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The N.F.L., which generates about three-quarters of its $15 billion in annual revenue from the sale of national broadcast rights, sponsorships and merchandise, is far less reliant on ticket sales and local revenue than other professional sports leagues.

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Still, the league stands to lose between $2 billion and $4 billion in revenue this season if fans are not on hand to buy tickets, luxury suites, food, merchandise and parking passes. The owners expect the players, who receive about 48 percent of league revenue, to absorb a proportional amount of those losses. Usually, the salary cap is reset each February based on expectations for revenue for the coming season.

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The dilemma the league and union face is how quickly to claw back those losses. If the salary cap is dramatically cut next season to recoup losses quickly, free agents could be hurt because teams would have far less money to spend. If the league and union lower the salary cap over a series of years to spread out the losses, a future generation of players will end up sharing the burden.

Boycotting going to a Saints games will have very little impact on the $15 billion of revenue generated by the NFL annually.

However, if fans discontinue watching the NFL broadcast and buying NFL merchandise, the annual revenue from the sale of national broadcast rights, sponsorships and merchandise will be greatly impacted.

The ultimate result will be a reduction in players' salaries.

The NFL will survive less viewers, but future rookies and veteran players will shoulder the burden of reduced revenue with less pay.