NFL BREAKING: League, Players NFL, NFLPA Agree to Suspend COVID Protocols

Three teams in particular - the Washington Football Team, the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Rams - each had at east 20 players on that list in December.

The Washington Football Team was in the spotlight late in the 2021 NFL season due to its number of players on the reserve/COVID list.

The NFL is suspending mask mandates

Washington Commanders Head Coach Ron Rivera

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Washington Commanders Head Coach Ron Rivera wearing a mask

Going forward, we may be done with the "reserve/COVID list.''

The NFL is attempting to put the COVID-19 crisis behind it, as on Thursday comes a report from NFL.com that the league and the NFLPA have agreed to "suspend all aspects of the joint COVID protocols.''

The move is "effective immediately,'' Tom Pelissero writes, adding, "No more masks, tracking devices, mandatory surveillance testing or capacity limits, unless required by state and local law.''

In December, many players vocally expressed the sentiment to the NFLPA that there should be major changes in the rules.

But also in December came yet another league-wide COVID-19 outbreak. Over 100 players were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of Week 15.

Three teams in particular - the Washington Football Team, the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Rams - each had at east 20 players on that list. That again began fueling the argument that their games should have been postponed, just as the NFL had over the course of two seasons of COVID protocol rules (and changing rules) had done before.

The league, late in the 2021 season, already altered protocols to allow vaccinated, asymptomatic players to return to action after one negative COVID-19 test. But then came a growing number of new positive tests around the league - and a growing debate.

© Kim Klement | 2020 Dec 13

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians wearing a face shield

© Kim Klement 2021 Jan 3

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians (left) talking with Tom Brady (right)

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Two Arizona Cardinals fans wearing masks

Pelissero writes, "After nearly two years of restrictions - and not a single game lost to the pandemic - it's finally back to normal. Finally.''

In addition to some players pushing for change, Tampa Bay Bucs coach Bruce Arians was among those who were pushing for more lax protocols. It was his position that players who are asymptomatic should be allowed to play. The latest NFL decision reflects that thinking.