The NFL is still, for some reason, clinging to COVID restrictions even as most of the country has moved on. Yet when agents and draft prospects decided to push back, suddenly those strict protocols “evolved.”
The league had been planning to clamp down on the freedom of draft prospects at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, instituting a bubble that would prevent players from even heading out into the city of Indianapolis. “Players will be restricted to secure Combine venues during their entire time in Indianapolis for their protection,” a Saturday memo read. “Players who violated this policy at any time will be disqualified from further participation and sent home.”
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But prospects didn’t like that, and their agents began organizing a boycott. Agents representing more than 150 of the 324 invited players planned to skip on-field workouts, interviews, and everything except the routine medical evaluation if the bubble was kept in place.
Unless the NFL and the combine agree to ease those restrictions — allowing players access to their full team of coaches, trainers, ATCs et al. as in past years — many top prospects will only do medical evaluations next month in Indianapolis. https://t.co/orMpYcx3qD
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 21, 2022
The league quickly folded. In a new memo, the NFL said that “we continue to evolve our Combine policies and procedures in consultation with medical experts.” Prospects will now have more freedom both at the Combine and in Indianapolis. The science magically changed from just two days ago, when the changes to the current policy were so dangerous that it would result in immediate disqualification from the event.
Combine has been “unbubbled” for players in attendance, per a memo sent out tonight. pic.twitter.com/916Up4E8LB
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 21, 2022
Just as the league stopped daily testing for COVID during the playoffs to avoid diminishing the on-field product, the league now eased off COVID restrictions for draft prospects for no other reason than to ensure the Combine happened. The decision was not made with health in mind, because very few of the NFL’s decisions during the pandemic have been made with health in mind.
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It’s well past time for the NFL to move on. COVID vaccines have been available for everyone for months now. The league had no problem with packed playoff crowds, including the Super Bowl full of unmasked celebrities flouting SoFi Stadium and Los Angeles County rules. Just about everyone has moved on from severe COVID-related restrictions. The NFL should do the same, once and for all.
