COVID-19 Outbreaks Among NFL Teams Would Lead To Forfeit: Report

ACROSS WISCONSIN — Football games will no longer be rescheduled in case of a COVID-19 outbreak among players. Instead, outbreaks among unvaccinated players will force a team to forfeit.

The news, first reported by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero on Thursday, would mean that teams like the Green Bay Packers could be penalized if their players are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the season begins.

An outbreak would simply cause them to forfeit the game.

"The NFL just informed clubs that if a game cannot be rescheduled during the 18-week season in 2021 due to a COVID outbreak among unvaccinated players, the team with the outbreak will FORFEIT and be credited with a loss for playoff seeding, per sources," Pelissero tweeted. "Massive implications."

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo about the new rules to all 32 NFL teams. The memo states that the league would have no chance of making up games missed due to an outbreak.

"As we learned last year, we can play a full season if we maintain a firm commitment to adhering to our health and safety protocols and to making needed adjustments in response to changing conditions," Goodell's memo reads.

"These operating principles are designed to allow us to play a full season in a safe and responsible way and address possible competitive or financial issues fairly."

One NFL player took to Twitter after hearing the news. Deandre Hopkins, wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals, announced that he would still not be getting a vaccine.

"Never thought I would say this, But being put in a position to hurt my team because I don't want to partake in the vaccine is making me question my future in the NFL," Hopkins tweet read.

More than 75 percent of NFL players have been vaccinated so far. Close to 100 percent of team staff is vaccinated, according to the memo from Goodell.

"If a vaccinated person tests positive and is asymptomatic, he or she will be isolated and contact tracing will promptly occur. The positive individual will be permitted to return to duty after two negative tests at least 24-hours apart and will thereafter be tested every two weeks or as directed by the medical staffs," the memo reads.

"If an unvaccinated person tests positive, the protocols from 2020 will remain in effect. The person will be isolated for a period of 10 days and will then be permitted to return to duty if asymptomatic."

Additionally, Goodell's memo says that anyone with a previous COVID-19 infection will be considered fully vaccinated 14 days after they've had at least one dose of an approved vaccine.

He lays out after that, that the league will not add a 19th week of the regular season to make up missed games, with teams responsible for ensuring their teams are ready for play each week.

"Every club is obligated under the Constitution and Bylaws to have its team ready to play at the scheduled time and place," the memo reads. "A failure to do so is deemed conduct detrimental. There is no right to postpone a game. Postponements will only occur if required by government authorities, medical experts, or at the Commissioner's discretion."

Christopher Boan contributed to writing and reporting in this story.