Despite the fact that COVID-19 has caused the NFL to reschedule games at a moment’s notice this year, the league will not mandate a postseason bubble.
Instead, the NFL is allowing teams to set up a modified bubble to allow players that “cohabitate with roommates or family members” to stay in to avoid possible exposure from their cohabitants, according to a meme the league sent to all teams on Tuesday.
Players will be able to choose whether or not they would want to stay in the hotel room. The NFL will not require players to stay there. A mandatory hotel stay would have also required union approval.
Per the memo: “This provision will remain in place throughout the postseason, however, with the exception of the night before the game when players and coaches are required to stay in the team hotel, clubs may not require players and staff to stay at a hotel in their local area. This decision is based upon an analysis of the frequency of positive cases in the league compared to the risk of significant spread among players and staff gathered for an extensive period of time at one hotel.”
For players and staff who do choose to stay at a hotel, the NFL will require them to wear a Knexon device at all times until they return to their rooms as an extra step to avoid catching COVID-19 from any hotel staff.
This is similar to what NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in recent weeks that he did not envision a bubble for the playoffs and lauded the league’s protocols.
There are three weeks remaining in the NFL season, which has had its fair share of COVID-19 issues – but has managed to avoid needing a Week 18 to makeup any games thus far.
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