NFL Going Into Intensive COVID Protocol And Here’s What This Means For Patriots

The coronavirus affects every aspect of the world of sports. The NFL has made some changes regarding the increased number of cases across the country. According to the most recent reports, the NFL requires teams to implement intensive COVID protocol this Saturday. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell described the decision in the memo he sent to NFL teams Wednesday.

NFL teams to follow intensive covid protocol

Teams will have to schedule meetings virtually and outdoors. If teams do hold their meetings indoors, they will have to do it with a pre-approved plan. Team personnel has to wear face masks or face shields in the facility and on practice fields.

“The upcoming holidays, beginning with Thanksgiving next week, will introduce new risks of exposure that we need to address now,” Goodell wrote in his memo. “Because we have a highly sophisticated program of daily testing, we know when the virus enters our facilities, which underscores the importance of contact tracing and other steps to minimize close contacts within a facility. Recent experience has highlighted the importance of minimizing high-risk close contacts; on multiple occasions, we have seen individuals identified on that basis test positive within a short time. We have also seen many instances in which effective action by clubs to minimize these close contacts prevented the virus from spreading within the club, and avoided players or coaches being ruled out of practice or games.”

The New England Patriots implemented intensive protocol earlier in the season when dealing with the outbreak in October. Veteran quarterback Cam Newton, running back Sony Michel, center James Ferentz, defensive tackles Byron Cowart and Bill Murray, and cornerback Stephon Gilmore ended up on the COVID-19/reserve list.

In other words, Patriots know how to do these virtual meetings. NFL teams had virtual meetings this past offseason, too. It won’t be a problem for teams to get used to the new changes. Let’s hope that the situation won’t get any worse in the next few weeks.

New England plays the Houston Texans Sunday. NFL experts predict a win for head coach Bill Belichick and his Patriots.