Report: NFL Considering COVID-19 Protocol Change

The NFL could soon change protocol for vaccinated individuals with no symptoms.

The NFL is being ran through with a COVID-19 breakout currently. Some teams are seeing the worst breakouts they have had since the pandemic begun. Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns are two teams that are scrambling to even field a complete team during week 15.

The NFL is considering a protocol tweak that would allow vaccinated, asymptomatic players who test positive for the coronavirus to return to team activities sooner, sources say.

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) December 15, 2021

According to a report from Mark Maske of the Washington Post the NFL could be changing it’s stance on vaccinated individuals. Currently players who are vaccinated and test positive have to either have two negative tests in back-to-back days, or sit out the standard 10 days.

Currently the Browns have 11 starters on the COVID-19 list, so this would significant news for the team. Welcome news at that. The change would only help those who are vaccinated, but are not having any symptoms. Perhaps those individuals would be able to return to the field sooner than they would have before. It is a slippery slope with how the NFL handles this due to the virus spreading amongst people whether you are vaccinated or not.

With NFL team’s seeing some of their worst outbreaks the league will have to make slight changes somewhere so that the season can go on with no threat of stoppage. Owners don’t want to have to not play games due to the simple fact of money that they will miss out on. With the cap finally set to go up next year the league doesn’t want to take any steps back.

If this will have any change that affects the Browns the league will have to act quick. Cleveland will host the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday evening with upwards of 20 individuals out with COVID-19. 

Brandon Little is a writer for Sports Illustrated’s Browns Digest website and you can follow him on Twitter here. You can follow Browns Digest on Twitter as well here. 

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