The NFL and the NFLPA have agreed to halt all COVID protocols effectively immediately according to a memo that was circulated to teams Thursday morning.
The announcement doesn’t come as a surprise as the league had already dropped many of its protocols by the end of the 2021 season. Among those that fell by the wayside last year were the testing of asymptomatic players and staff, and distancing protocols.
The memo states “Based on current encouraging trends regarding the prevalence and severity of COVID-19, the evolving guidance from the CDC, changes to state law and the counsel of our respective experts, the NFL and NFLPA have agreed to suspend all aspects of the joint COVID-19 Protocols”.
The earliest any football activities can begin is April 4th, meaning the league is still a ways out from ramping up any kind of team gatherings. However the league did leave room to reimplement protocols should public health developments warrant such a move.
2021 was largely viewed as a success by football insiders. The NFL announced that by the end of the season 95% of players and nearly 100% of football staff members were vaccinated. The year wasn’t without its bumps however, as 4 players were hospitalized due to COVID related complications, and there was the infamous Aaaron Rodgers “did my own research” debacle which made headlines as well.
Teams are still required to comply with any state or local public health regulations meaning there may still be a difference in policies across the league depending on the geographic location of each franchise.
The new process for players should they begin to experience any COVID related symptoms states that they must report to the club medical staff and will need a negative test to return to the club facility. Players — or staff — who test positive must now isolate for five days after a positive test, in accordance with public health guidelines.
The news comes only a few days after several prominent player agents announced their intentions to have their clients skip the NFL Combine due to COVID protocol and bubble measures. Following a policy change, players began to report with testing currently underway ahead of the 2022 NFL draft.
The 2022 NFL Draft runs from April 28-30th this year in Las Vegas.