NFL reportedly mulling long overdue changes to COVID-19 protocols

The Washington Football Team’s season is suddenly in disarray amid a wave of positive COVID-19 tests throughout the organization.

Since the start of the week, a grand total of 18 players landed on the COVID list, including defensive starters Jonathan Allen, Kendall Fuller and Montez Sweat, as well as key backups Matt Ioannidis, James Smith-Williams and Tim Settle.

As things stand, Washington is also down backup quarterback Kyle Allen for this Sunday’s mammoth divisional game against the Eagles.

The Cleveland Browns are facing a similar situation. Over the last two days, they placed 14 players on the COVID list, including Baker Mayfield, head coach Kevin Stefanski, Jarvis Landry, and DBs Troy Hill and John Johnson III.

Long story short, teams fighting for playoff berths shouldn’t have their season’s upended due to a faulty protocol system.

In light of this unprecedented breakout, which is somehow worse than what the NFL experienced during the 2020 season, the league and players’ union are reportedly discussing “significant chances” to the protocols.

The NFL is considering enforcing chances to its COVID-19 protocols, but is it too late for the Washington Football Team?

It’s about damn time! The only problem, though?

It might be too late to save Washington’s season. If the team doesn’t get at least a handful of these players back in time for Sunday, they could potentially fall to 6-8 with just three games left on the schedule.

The current blueprint just isn’t sustainable, especially given the recent spike in positive cases around the country. The NFL has to change the rules to make it harder for players to end up in COVID protocol.

On this current trajectory, squads like Washington, the Browns and Rams won’t have teams to field for Sunday and potentially Week 16. With all three clubs in the middle of a playoff hunt, does the NFL really want high-stakes games being decided by fourth and fifth-stringers and practice squad players?

We certainly hope not. So, what are some solutions being discussed? Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, we could see the league alternate the 10-day waiting period for asymptomatic players who continue to test positive.

How about taking it a step further and allowing asymptomatic players with COVID to simply play? You really think a positive player hasn’t played (unknowingly obviously) in a game in the last two seasons? Of course they have, and there’s been no evidence that the virus can be transmitted during games.

Additionally, there’s been nothing to suggest teams with COVID outbreaks give the virus to opposing players during games.

How many times have you seen players shake hands at midfield only to see one of those players test positive the next day and everyone panic that the other player is now going to spread it to his locker room?

That hasn’t happened.

Another idea being floated around, per Breer, is the NFL incentivizing its players to get the COVID-19 booster with the promise it’ll stop testing players who’ve gotten the shot. That’s not the worst idea, but it’s worth pondering if that’ll lead to actual progress. After all, about 5% of players have received the booster, per CBS Sports.

On the flip side, if it creates a safer environment and reduces the chances of disrupting the season, maybe players, who can’t enjoy being tested daily or weekly depending on their vaccination status, will get on board.

The bottom line is there are major flaws in the system; ones that the NFL must get sorted out soon before the playoffs are upended.

For Washington’s sake, it’s just a shame this outbreak happened this late in the season, because by the time these changes are enforced, it might be too late.