The NFL’s COVID-19 protocols in general are roughly similar to last year, but with a twist: they’re much less restrictive for players who have been vaccinated, and much sterner for those who aren’t.
When Giants head coach Joe Judge joined Boomer & Gio on Tuesday ahead of Big Blue’s season opener this Sunday, those protocols were the first thing Boomer wanted to address – and Coach Judge was blunt.
“It’s definitely a lot different because of that flexibility with the vaccinated guys, but you have to respect the guys who chose not to get it,” Judge told Boomer & Gio. “Our message to the team right away was that everyone has a choice, but if you choose not to get the vaccine, there are protocols you’ll have to follow.”
Judge said he’s proud of his team because they haven’t had a single incident, or had to meet about those protocols, yet this year, but he did talk to the team about what happened with the Dallas Cowboys and their now multiple outbreaks.
“We addressed the Cowboys’ situation yesterday, and said you have to respect space and social distancing, which is a big part of the protocols with unvaccinated players,” Judge said. “Everyone wears those tracers, and the NFL is always auditing them and seeing what contact level is.”
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It was revealed this week that attempting to circumvent those tracing devices was what landed the Broncos’ entire quarterback room in COVID protocols last season, and Judge explained how this year’s protocols with vaccinated vs. unvaccinated players really can affect a team.
“If it’s a situation where someone who is vaccinated pops a positive, and you’re in close contact but you’re vaccinated, you don’t really have to miss any time,” Judge said, “but if you’re not vaccinated, you still have to be removed and quarantined, and it can cost you up to two weeks. We have to make sure everyone understands their current status.”
As Judge noted, the NFL is also constantly updating and revising the protocols – “we get memos every day,” he said – to the point where he leaves it up to team medical personnel to let him know what he has to tell the team.
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What he’s hoping he never has to tell the Giants is that they, or their opponent, has to forfeit a game because of COVID issues, because he knows that even though 2020 went off without missing a game, it might not be as easy this season.
“I hope we don’t; we got through an entire season last year without missing a game, but I don’t know if moving games on short notice is as much of a reality with fans in the stands and whatnot,” Judge said. “The possibility is there, but I think everyone will work hard to eliminate that. And, as I explained to our guys, if we have 11 healthy people, we’re going to play, so we have to be prepared for whatever comes our way, even if it means playing all three facets of the game.”
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