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The NFL is in a tight spot with numerous COVID outbreaks at the moment. Several teams have seen numerous players placed on the Reserve/COVID list and are unavailable for games.
The teams hit the hardest are the L.A. Rams and Cleveland Browns, along with the Washington Football Team, and each team is in a state of chaos. This latest COVID outbreak has forced the NFL to move a couple of games.
The NFL announced on Friday that the game between the Raiders and Browns, which was slated for Saturday, has been moved to Monday, and the divisional clash between Washington and the Eagles and Seattle's game with the Rams has been moved to Tuesday.
Players want all COVID protocols eliminated
Also Read: NFL Week 15 schedule change: Seahawks, Washington, Raiders, Browns games moved to later dates
With the recent outbreak of COVID affecting just about every NFL team, the league has moved to make changes to the protocols. This now includes mandatory mask-wearing while in team facilities, players, coaches and staff have to social distance, have all meetings virtual (via Zoom) and limit the amount of players/people allowed in the weight rooms, while having restrictions on activities that happen outside of the facilities.
However, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the majority of NFL players want to get rid of all COVID protocols entirely. What does this mean? For starters, it would mean no more missed games, but it would require more testing and no quarantine for players who test positive.
It is highly unlikely that the NFL will get rid of all protocols, as it is seen as a must, and the league wants daily testing for players. However, simply moving games back a day or two doesn't seem to solve the problem either.
For Washington, their clash against the Eagles is a critical game in their season, but they will have to field essentially a practice squad to face Jalen Hurts. The Cleveland Browns are another team that has been decimated by COVID and face a defining game against the Raiders but will be without the likes of Kareem Hunt, Case Keenum, Baker Mayfield and corner A.J. Green, just to name a few.
If players get their wish and the protocols are dropped, all players mentioned above will be eligible to play. It is coming to a critical point in the season where a team's playoff hopes stay alive or vanish, and with so many players out, especially for the Browns, it is all hands on deck as they try to keep their faint playoff hopes alive.
Also Read: NFL Rumors: Will Week 15 games be postponed due to rising COVID-19 cases?
