So long as an NFL player doesn't have symptoms a handful of days after testing positive for COVID-19, his mandatory time away from the field is about to get cut in half.
ESPN's Adam Schefter shared a memo that the NFL sent out on Tuesday with updated COVID-19 protocols that were agreed upon by the NFL and NFL Players Assocation. Chief among them was the first change listed, regarding how long a player has to isolate before they can return from a positive COVID-19 test.
The memo states that if five days have passed since the positive result was collected and symptoms have resolved — along with the requirement that 24 hours have passed without a fever — affected players will be eligible to return from isolation. Prior to this memo, the number of days had been 10, and this change has come in concordance with CDC guidelines. The rules apply to vaccinated and unvaccinated players alike, according to Schefter.
One player who might benefit from this new protocol is Colts quarterback Carson Wentz, who was placed on the COVID-19 list and tested positive on Tuesday (via Schefter). Should he be symptom-free, Wentz could take the field in Week 17 when the Colts take on the Raiders in a game that comes with big playoff implications for the AFC Wild Card Race.
Monday represented another record-setting day for the league's COVID list, with all 106 players on the list testing positive.
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