NFL’S NEW COVID-19 RULES | COVID IMPLICATIONS ON THE NFL | OSB
How will the new Covid Rules Affect The NFL Season?
The NFL is cracking down on teams that aren’t following Covid-19 guidelines. They’ve put new rules in place that encourage vaccinations. However, some players and coaches feel like this infringes on their rights as individuals. There have already been cases of coaches quitting the team because of the new regulations. The question now is how exactly is this going to affect the NFL?
You can’t blame the NFL for the new regulations, especially after the 2020 season. Having next to no fans in the stand, postponed games, and full cancellations marred the season. This season, they’re looking to get back to a sense of normalcy. The regulations now put in place are the closest thing to a guaranteed full season. This does pose the question though on if the regulations do more to help or hurt their stance. Let’s go over some of the new regulations and the impact they will have on the 2021 season, but before we do so, when you go to make any of your sports bets this year Visit BetOnline to get great odds!
Implications Of Unvaccinated Players
As part of the NFL’s crackdown on Covid-19, they’ve decided to lean towards forfeits. The rule states that if an outbreak among unvaccinated players should occur, and a game needs to be postponed. That if unable to reschedule through the season, the team that had the outbreak will forfeit the said game. These are huge implications, especially considering that it can take up to ten days for a negative test.
Think about this for a moment, a team could possibly forfeit two games in back-to-back weeks. This could easily eliminate a team from the playoffs or drop them in the standings. It’s clear that the NFL is taking Covid-19 much more seriously this year. Forfeits weren’t even thought of in the 2020 season, but it seems to be a possibility in 2021. Not only will players have to worry about forfeits, but fines as well.
Fines For Not Following Covid-19 Guidelines
In an increased effort to stress the importance of following safety guidelines, the NFL will levy fines on players. As it stands, players that are unvaccinated, who break safety protocols will be subject to a fine of over $14,000. It seems as if the NFL knows that a sure-fire way to get player’s attention is to hit them in the pockets.
It doesn’t just hurt the players but the entire organization if a game is forfeited. The organization would be subject to penalties and will be responsible for financial losses. That ranges from ticket sales to media expenses, to concessions. Overall, the entire team will be affected by postponements, forfeits, and fines.
So, What Happens Now?
Well, what we’re seeing now is a surge around the league of players understanding these implications. Personal responsibility is beginning to play a huge role in how Covid-19 will affect the upcoming season. We’re also seeing blame being spread through the league at unvaccinated players and staff.
Essentially, this is creating a divide in the league between the unvaccinated and vaccinated. Even Bills Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs has made comments on some of his teammates not receiving the vaccine. The problem is, will these regulations will be enough to prevent postponements and forfeits? Or will the NFL have to up the ante on fines to put more of an emphasis on their stance?
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