The NFL will not reschedule matches for competitive reasons in the post-season period

Getty Images

The Broncos team played a game without a midfielder due to the COVID-19 contact tracing. The 49-game players played after placing four major players, including three receivers, on the COVID-19 list the day before kick-off. The Ravens lost dozens of rookies and major contributors, including the 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, In Week 12 despite having rescheduled their match against the Steelers three times. The Browns played Sunday’s match with only one receiver available from the 53-player roster.

The results of those games were predictable.

The NFL has said all the time, it will not reschedule matches for competitive reasons, just for medical reasons. It will take the same approach in the post-season period, and NFLPA is on its way to making decisions that rely only on health and safety.

“I think it’s a very slippery slope to either read or start making decisions that are driven by competitive equilibrium,” NFL Executive Director Demores Smith said at a videoconference on Tuesday. “I think once you start making these decisions it becomes very difficult to manage them and also very difficult to tell when to stop.

“I think what I’ve seen over the course of 16 weeks is that the league and the federation are working hard to make difficult but right decisions about the health and safety of the player.”

President of NFLPA JC Sequer It is Browns’ center, so it saw results of the four Browns best receivers that are considered high-risk close contacts BJ Goodson, Who tested positive on Saturday morning.

Brown lost to the Gates 23-16 on Sunday, which could ultimately cost them the extension berth. They put a narrow end Harrison Bryant And safety Andrew Sendigo On the COVID-19 Reserve List Tuesday, With a big match against the Steelers looming on Sunday.

“It’s definitely frustrating,” Tritter said. “Men want to be there, and that was one of the hardest things this year. Men are competitive. Men play through injury, through disease, but this is the year when that isn’t possible. You can’t play through COVID. It’s not safe for players.” Around you, and the choice is taken away from a player [if] Can you do it.

“It’s tough, and difficult not only if you are in close contact. Which is why it’s important to follow protocols – wear your mask and wear Kinexon. [tracking device] And physical distance in the facility. If you do these three things, chances are you will not catch the virus and you will not end up on your high-risk close contact list. So following the protocols and 100 percent compliance with them will take care of everything. “

The NFL informed teams today that it will continue daily testing and intense protocols throughout the qualifiers. The Board of Directors and the NFL Players Association have also approved unlimited heights for the coaching team without the player having to cancel waivers during the 2020 post-season.

During the regular season, a team can move a player to the active roster as a record height only twice.

The NFL will not go into a neutral site bubble or have mandatory post-season domestic bubbles, and trust its protocols to work.

“I don’t think there is a need for that [a bubble or bubbles]Smith said.

Few expected the NFL to play all 256 games of the regular season without Week 18 or without some cancellations, but it takes five days to do so.

“We said from the start, it wasn’t about starting,” Tritter said. “We felt confident that we could get to the starting point. It was about staying at the start, continuing and finishing the season in Super Bowl. We are closing it to that goal. Everyone will need to continue complying with the protocols, doing the right thing and being 100 percent compliant, but everyone walks in.” In this building I give a lot of credit for his year. “