NFL Physicians Society Discontinues Player Physicals Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

NFL physicals will be put on hold until the health crisis related to the coronavirus has passed, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:  

This will prevent teams from getting medical clearances on either free agents or potential draft picks.

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe predicted this could mean "no more signings or trades for awhile."

The NFL issued a response to the NFL Physicians Society in a statement to ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio:

"As previously announced, players who are free agents or subjects of a trade are not permitted to travel to meet with any club personnel, including members of the club medical staff. Club facilities are closed to any NFL player, unless that player has been receiving ongoing medical treatment by the club’s medical team. Club medical staff are prohibited from traveling to any location to meet with or conduct a medical examination of a player. This is consistent with procedures previously announced for draft-eligible college players. Clubs may arrange for a free agent or traded player to have medical exams conducted in the player’s home city or at another nearby location by a third-party doctor."

The new NFL league year began on March 18, but players were not allowed to take their customary free-agency visits due to travel concerns surrounding COVID-19. As a result, many free-agent signings haven't become official because players can't get physicals from team doctors. 

Tom Brady found a doctor in New York to perform his physical instead of Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff, per Jeff Darlington of ESPN.

With team doctors no longer working with NFL players for the duration of the pandemic, other players could have to wait before deals are finalized.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported teams have already been putting provisions in contracts under which players would have to forfeit signing-bonus money for a failed physical down the line.

In the meantime, NFL doctors will apparently be used to help combat the coronavirus, which has continued to spread worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, there have been over 31,000 cases in the United States as of Monday, leading to more than 400 deaths.