The NFL unveiled a sweeping memo on Thursday detailing their policies for handling COVID-19 outbreaks in the 2021 season, and it has severe implications for teams with unvaccinated personnel. The memo, shared by NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, doesn’t mandate that players be fully vaccinated, but it imposes draconian penalties on any team whose season is disrupted by a viral outbreak with unvaccinated players or staff. Here are the main takeaways from this update that is sure to be received with calm, measured reactions all around:
Faster return to action for vaccinated players
In 2020, the COVID-19 protocols forced a player to isolate for at least ten days after a positive viral test, and only return after that time if they were asymptomatic.