NFL won’t play postseason in isolated ‘bubbles’
In a memo sent to all 32 NFL teams, the league said teams won’t isolate players in a local bubble during the postseason.
According to the memo, which was obtained by the Associated Press and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, teams will only be allowed to require staff and players to stay at the team hotel the night before their game.
Pelissero added that league officials and medical experts recommended the decision to forego local bubbles with the NFL Players Association, which was based on COVID-19 testing data.
The decision to forego local bubbles was jointly recommended by NFL and NFLPA medical experts based on COVID testing data. They’re happy with the numbers and sticking with what works.
Here’s the full memo, which also updates return to play protocols, etc. pic.twitter.com/GQxF0IF3jt
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 15, 2020
According to the AP, teams can still provide hotel rooms for players if they decide to stay in one to avoid catching the coronavirus from family or teammates throughout the playoffs.
The memo states that all players and staff staying at team hotels either at home or on the road will be required to wear a tracing device until they return to their rooms for the night, the AP reported.
The AP also reported that teams would use two planes when traveling to games on the road.
According to the memo, the league and the NFLPA updated COVID-19 protocols, including adding a new test, clearing people to work gamedays, extending the time for people testing positive but asymptomatic to return, and extending testing to players’ family and their service providers.
