The NFL on Thursday released a memo to all 32 teams laying out expectations for the 2021 season while still battling the coronavirus. The league is coming out strong to try to entice more players and coaches to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the memo, if a COVID-19 outbreak among non-vaccinated players causes a game to be cancelled, the team impacted by the virus will forfeit the game, impacting their playoff positioning. The loss will not be accounted for in the draft-order standings, however. The league is not planning on adding a 19th week to the schedule to accommodate rescheduling of games.