Moving forward, the NFL won’t be testing vaccinated players on a regular basis. The NFL also won’t be adjusting the definition of “vaccinated” to include the receipt of a booster shot.
The decision not to require vaccinated players to receive a booster in order to remain “fully vaccinated” appears in a memo sent Saturday by Commissioner Roger Goodell to all teams.
“The NFL and NFLPA agree that booster shots for eligible players are an important element of a comprehensive effort to combat Covid and will continue to educate players on the benefits of receiving booster shots, if eligible,” Goodell explained. “As you have been advised in a previous memorandum, all Tier 1 and Tier 2 staff members will be required to receive a booster shot no later than December 27. Clubs are strongly encouraged to offer boosters to eligible players and family members through on-site clinics or relationships with local healthcare providers and pharmacies.”
In other words, no players are required to receive boosters. And “fully vaccinated” players will continue to be regarded as “fully vaccinated” without receiving boosters.
Given recent developments, it’s easy to argue that the league and the union have decided not to required vaccinated players to receive boosters in order to minimize the number of “unvaccinated” players, who will continue to be tested daily through the end of the season. With Saturday’s protocol changes primarily aimed at reducing the number of positive cases by reducing the frequency of testing, pushing more players into the “unvaccinated” category would result in more tests and, necessarily, more positives.
