Report: Player availability not a factor in NFL's Wild-Card Round scheduling

Despite the fact that some playoff teams want to play next Sunday to have an extra day to get players off the Reserve/COVID list, the NFL says player availability will not factor into Wild-Card scheduling.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 3, 2021

This shouldn’t be a surprise, but the New Orleans Saints still can’t be happy to hear it. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that player availability — specifically the return of those on the COVID-19 reserve list, like Saints running back Alvin Kamara — will not be a factor in deciding when Wild-Card Round playoff games are scheduled.

Because Kamara reported a confirmed positive test result, he’s sidelined for 10 full days, per NFL rules. That…