The NFL was held on a pedestal in 2020 for the admirable way it conducted itself through the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 draft was hailed as a triumph and served as a symbol for the league's ability to adapt to the times.
Of course, like anything else, there were hiccups. Bye weeks were moved around, games got rescheduled, and teams got fined for violating pandemic regulations. But largely, the season went off without too much of a hitch, and the league got to celebrate in a big way with the 2021 draft. Vaccinated fans, players, and families were all allowed into the open-air space for one of football's biggest nights, and the energy was palpable throughout the entire event. However, if you thought that this meant that the NFL was relaxing in any way, or letting down its guard, think again.
The league just announced a full return to regular-season COVID-19 protocols, starting in mid-May, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
Other parts of the regular season COVID protocols that start May 17 (or May 14 for clubs with rookie minicamps that weekend):
– Max 15 players in one weight room
– No club-organized social gatherings
– No in-person player media interviews
– Max 5 tryouts/visits per week— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 6, 2021
Now, this is a little bit more lenient than the complete ban from practicing and facility closure that marked the 2020 offseason. But football is still a contact sport, and the NFL is continuing to do its part to set an example for fans and other leagues on how to operate safely in the “new normal”.
By all these regulations, it seems that regular practices and training sessions will continue pretty normally — these regulations seem to limit any unnecessary exposure in non-controlled environments. So it looks like Tom Brady's extracurricular practice sessions will still be on the outs again, but at least teammates will get a chance to know one another this offseason.
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