NFL – Football: NFL eases restrictions on players who have been fully vaccinated

The National Football League and the NFL Players Association have updated protocols related to COVID-19 in an effort to ease restrictions for fully vaccinated players and to encourage injection of the vaccine among others .

Unvaccinated players should continue to be tested on a daily basis, wear a mask and observe physical distancing. They will not be allowed to have lunch with their teammates, may not participate in media and marketing activities while traveling, are not permitted to use the sauna or steam rooms, nor to leave the room. team hotel or interact with people not associated with the club while traveling.

Vaccinated players will not be subject to any of these restrictions, according to a note sent to teams on Wednesday, a copy of which the Associated Press obtained.

In addition, access to the press gallery, the pitch, the sidelines, the locker room and the post-match press conference room will only be granted to journalists who have been fully vaccinated.

Several players have expressed concern about receiving the vaccine. Updating protocols is an additional incentive to encourage them to be vaccinated.

Players who violate the protocols can be fined up to $ 50,000.

“Probably I won’t get the shot until I get more information and stuff like that, but I’m absolutely not a fan,” Montez Sweat, a defensive end of the team, said last week. the Washington team.

Clubs have called in experts to discuss the vaccine with players and staff.

“They do a great job of continuing to educate us, give us resources and then sort of give us the option to make that informed decision depending on where we are, on a personal level,” said Adam Thielen. , a winger with the Minnesota Vikings.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was asked if other players had spoken to him about the vaccine because he studied biology at the University of Oregon.

“I haven’t spoken to a lot of people about it,” he admitted. “There is a small group of players who have been vaccinated, and I have been vaccinated. I figured if it’s available to do all of these things, that would help me, in the long run.

“I think it’s better for everyone, but it’s up to each person (to decide). So that’s their opinion. Regardless, I think it’s a tough situation, but nobody asked me a lot of questions. “