Do Unvaccinated NFL Players Have to Wear Masks?
Contents
As the NFL season gets underway, one question on many people’s minds is whether unvaccinated players will have to wear masks. Here’s what we know so far.
Introduction
The NFL has released its COVID-19 protocols for the 2020 season, and they include a provision that all players and personnel must wear masks on the sidelines if they are not vaccinated against the coronavirus.
The protocols were released on Thursday, and they state that “all Club personnel who are not vaccinated must wear face coverings at all times while on Club premises, including during practices and games.”
This is a departure from the NCAA’s guidelines, which do not mandate that unvaccinated individuals wear masks.
The NFL’s decision to require masks for unvaccinated individuals on the sidelines is in line with the recommendations of medical experts, who have said that wearing a mask is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
What the NFL is saying
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday that the league is “notchanging our policy, we’re going to continue to ask players to wear masks”on the sidelines during games.
The NFL has had a mask requirement inplace for players, coaches and other personnel on the sideline since thestart of training camp in August. But with some high-profile playerschoosing not to wear masks during games — most notably, Green Bay Packersquarterback Aaron Rodgers — there have been questions about whether thepolicy will be enforced going forward.
Asked about the NFL’s policyWednesday, Goodell said that “players have been cooperative” withwearing masks and that he believes they will continue to do so.
“We’llcontinue to reinforce with them why it’s important,” Goodell said.”We think it’s important for two reasons: one is obviously to protectthemselves and others, but also because it sends a strong message to ourfans that we’re all in this together.”
Goodell said he has not had anyconversations with Rodgers about why he chooses not to wear a mask onthe sideline.
What the NFLPA is saying
The NFLPA has been in communication with the league about the NBPA’s request that unvaccinated players be allowed to participate in voluntary workouts without masks, a source told ESPN.
The union is not currently considering any sort of holdout or work stoppage over the matter, but it is monitoring the situation closely, the source said.
What other leagues are doing
Other professional leagues, such as Major League Baseball, have not implemented any type of policy mandating that unvaccinated players must wear masks while on the field. The MLB has stated that they are “encouraging” players and staff to get vaccinated, but it is not required. The NBA has also said that they are “strongly recommending” players get vaccinated, but have not made it a requirement.
What the experts are saying
The NFL has not released its official COVID-19 protocols for the 2020 season yet, but experts say that unvaccinated players will likely have to wear masks during games.
“It would be highly unusual for the NFL to not require unvaccinated players to wear masks,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its guidelines to say that fully vaccinated people can go without a mask in most indoor and outdoor settings. However, the CDC still recommends wearing a mask in crowded indoor spaces like stadiums.
Some NFL players have already been vaccinated, but it’s unclear how many have received the vaccine. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said last week that the league is “encouraging” players to get vaccinated, but it is not mandatory.
The league is also considering other safety measures, such as prohibiting fans from attending games in person and playing games in empty stadiums.
Conclusion
While the NFL has not yet mandated that all players must be vaccinated, the league is strongly encourage players to get the vaccine. Currently, there is no rule that unvaccinated players must wear masks, but that could change if the number of Covid cases among NFL players increases.
