With the Thanksgiving holiday right around the corner, the NFL is tightening its COVID-19 protocols as the number of cases has risen across the country.
The league sent a memo to all of its teams Tuesday, detailing changes they are making which will include mandatory testing for all players and staff the Monday and Wednesday after the holiday and will require players and personnel to wear masks while inside club facilities from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1.
“In light of this uptick in positive tests throughout the country and based on consultation with our experts and collective experience, we are making the following changes to the Protocols and are sharing additional best practices,” the memo noted.
The memo also noted that the league will require new surveillance guidelines to make sure everyone is following the new mandates. The NFL said this is something they have already been stating they, 'periodically reviewed footage from surveillance cameras in club facilities to ensure Protocol compliance. Discipline has been issued against individual players and clubs as warranted.'
Starting Nov. 29, the league will also require all of its teams to have video cameras installed in their weight rooms, both outdoors and indoors, cafeterias and indoor practice facilities. Teams must hold onto the video from said cameras for 30 days in case the NFL requests to view it if they find out whether people are following the rules.
The league is also encouraging teams to offer drive-through COVID testing for friends and families of the staff and players if they plan to stay with them during the holiday.
It's funny the NFL is making all of these new mandates, claiming that 'discipline has been issued against individual players and clubs' when Aaron Rodgers has been breaking the rules for the majority of the season until he got COVID and was found to be unvaccinated with little consequence for doing so.
As Rodgers returned and led the Green Bay Packers to a victory over the Seahawks, Ben Roethlisberger is currently on the COVID-19 list, missing the Steelers game against the Lions.
The league says they will send officials to each franchise to help enforce these new mandates.
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