NFL loosens safety restrictions for fully vaccinated players

The NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed on a new set of health and safety protocols for the 2021 season, with one very clear message — get vaccinated or be prepared for a very inconvenient season.

According to reports from the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, fully vaccinated players no longer have to wear face coverings around team facilities and will only be tested once every two weeks.

Players won’t have to quarantine after coming in contact with high risk individuals and can use facilities like the steam and sauna room.

For players who are not full vaccinated, the rules remain restrictive. They must undergo COVID-19 screenings daily and are required to wear masks around team facilities and during travel. Players need to be physically distanced.

Those unvaccinated players are also restricted from any social, marketing or sponsorship activities. On road trips, those players may not leave the team hotel for a restaurant and are forbidden from interacting with anyone outside of the team’s traveling party.