NFL, NFLPA agree to major changes in COVID testing guidelines

The NFL established wide-ranging changes to its COVID-19 investigating protocols connected Saturday successful which asymptomatic vaccinated players volition beryllium taxable lone to radom spot investigating for the remainder of the season.

Had these caller guidelines been successful place, the Raiders crippled against the Cleveland Browns, which was moved from Saturday to Monday aft astir 2 twelve vaccinated Browns players tested affirmative for COVID-19 this week, would person been played arsenic scheduled.

The caller guidelines look to beryllium successful effect to the Raiders-Browns situation, arsenic good arsenic the Rams and Seahawks and Washington Football Team and Philadelphia Eagles games that were moved astir this play aft a COVID-19 affirmative trial outbreak among Rams and WFT players.

The little stringent guidelines are expected to assistance guarantee the remainder of the NFL play continues arsenic planned. The caller investigating guidelines are the combined effort of the NFL and the players union.

In a memo sent to each 32 NFL teams and obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the league outlined a little intrusive investigating attack for vaccinated players portion maintaining stringent protocols for unvaccinated players.

In the memo, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell indicated the caller escalation successful affirmative tests could beryllium the effect of the little intrusive Omicron variant.

“Medical accusation powerfully indicates that this variant is importantly much contagious but perchance little terrible than anterior variants, peculiarly for radical who are afloat vaccinated and person received a booster shot,” Goodell wrote successful the memo. “Our acquisition with the Omicron variant is afloat accordant with this anticipation – portion much players and unit are investigating positive, astir 2 thirds of those individuals are asymptomatic, astir of the remaining individuals person lone mild symptoms, and the microorganism appears to wide affirmative individuals much rapidly than was existent with the Delta oregon earlier variants. In galore respects, Omicron appears to beryllium a precise antithetic unwellness from the 1 that we archetypal confronted successful the outpouring of 2020.”

Goodell besides stressed the value of players and unit members getting booster shots and the league volition proceed to amended players connected the benefits of receiving booster shots, if eligible. He added that astir squad unit members (Tier 1 and Tier 2) volition beryllium required to person a booster changeable by Dec. 27.

The Raiders expressed vexation implicit their crippled being postponed by 2 days, particularly aft being advised of the power arsenic they boarded buses bound for the airdrome for their formation to Cleveland connected Friday. With his squad inactive successful the heavy of the playoff race, proprietor Mark Davis felt the last-second audible adversely affected the Raiders.

“I bash privation to marque it wide that wellness and information is the apical priority,” said Davis. “But the mode this went down puts america astatine a implicit competitory disadvantage for a fig of reasons.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore astatine vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore connected Twitter.