NFL Rumors: Will Week 15 games be postponed due to rising COVID-19 cases?
COVID-19 is once again changing the climate of the NFL with an alarming rate of positive cases being discovered through testing. Several players and teams are having to significantly alter or adjust not just their gameplans but possibly their time for the games as well.
NFL and NFLPA discussing postponing multiple Week 15 games, per source. As one source said, “the league is getting pressure to move games.”
With such an influx of positive COVID-19 diagnoses, will games for Week 15 of the NFL season be postponed?
How many NFL teams are affected by COVID-19?
As of the time of this writing, there have been a few schedule changes to the Week 15 NFL season schedule. The game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Cleveland Browns was originally scheduled for this Saturday at 4:30 p.m. EST.
The game has now been postponed until Monday, December 20 at 5:00 p.m. EST.
Can confirm #Browns #Raiders will be played Monday at 5 p.m.
Also, the upcoming games between the Seahawks and Rams, as well as the Eagles vs. Washington Football Team, are rumored to be the other games that may possibly be postponed due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak.
NFL's working on moving all three of the games—Raiders/Browns, Seahawks/Rams and Eagles/Washington—right now. No other games would be affected.
What are the new NFL COVID protocols?
There are currently seven NFL teams that are now placed into what is being called enhanced COVID-19 protocols.
On Monday, the seven teams placed into that protocol are the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, and Washington Football Team.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Rams and the Cleveland Browns were added to that list. The enhanced protocols will include mandatory mask usage at the team facilities and daily testing regardless of vaccination status.
The enhanced protocols also call for a stoppage to in-person meals, placing limits on the number of people in weight rooms, and stopping or reducing outside visitors when the team is traveling.
Omicron, the newest variant of COVID-19, is likely responsible for many of the newest cases, according to Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer.
This week, there were 37 players that tested positive for COVID-19. Since the start of the pandemic, this has been a record for a single day for NFL players.
Last season, there were several changes to the NFL schedule as games were played throughout the week due to being postponed in an effort to protect as many players and staff members as possible.
The league seems to be heading back towards taking extreme caution, as they did last year to protect players, fans, and staff alike from acquiring the virus.
In hindsight, perhaps several of those measures should not have been removed in the first place.
Also check out: Complete Monday Night Football Schedule 2021