NFL, NFLPA Agree to Suspend COVID-19 Protocols Effective Immediately

The NFL's COVID-19 protocols have been suspended.

The league and the NFL Players Association "have agreed to suspend all aspects of the joint COVID-19 Protocols, effective immediately," the NFL said in a memo Thursday.

The league has operated under strict protocols since the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NFL and NFLPA have made adjustments to the protocols as the CDC has updated its guidelines. In December, the two sides agreed to cut the standard isolation period for asymptomatic individuals who test positive from 10 days to five days.

In Thursday's memo, the league cited "current encouraging trends" on the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 and the "evolving guidance" from the CDC as reasons to suspend the protocols.

Per the CDC's COVID tracking data, daily cases in the United States have decreased from 1.3 million on Jan. 10 to 42,129 on March 1. 

The NFL is requiring teams to stay in compliance with state and local COVID-19 guidelines and says they are "free to continue reasonable measures" to protect staff members and players.

This week marked the NFL's first major in-person event since Super Bowl 56 on Feb. 13. All 32 teams have representatives in Indianapolis for the scouting combine to evaluate top draft prospects. 

The next major event for the league will be the 2022 NFL draft at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, from April 28 to April 30.