Report: NFL to Require Booster Shots for Tier 1 and 2 Staff Following 37 Positive Tests

The league sent a memo to all 32 teams requiring Tier 1 and 2 staff members to receive a booster shot by Dec. 27.

On a day in which the league saw a reported 37 players test positive for COVID-19, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the NFL will now require all Tier 1 and Tier 2 staff members to receive booster shots by Dec. 27.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends that individuals who received their second Pfizer or Moderna vaccine dose more than six months ago should get a booster shot, with a two-month window for those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. In a memo sent to all 32 teams on Monday, team staffers meeting this criteria must get their boosters in order to retain tiered status, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network.

Of all the positive COVID-19 tests this season involving NFL staff, 86% have originated away from team facilities, per Schefter.

The new memo does not apply to players, as any changes in vaccine requirements must be negotiated with the players union, per Garafolo. Players are considered to be Tier 1 employees.