One of the NFL's top medical officials said the league has a "broad agreement" with the NFLPA on safety protocols pertaining to the '20 season, according to Mark Maske of the WASHINGTON POST. NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills did not provide a "timetable for the league finalizing operational protocols" with the union. He indicated that the two sides "will have to be prepared to adjust to changing circumstances" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/20). In N.Y., Ken Belson notes Sills gave an update during yesterday's virtual NFL owners meeting about reopening team facilities and said that "determining a safe way for players to come back would be complex." He said that the league and the union "must create a system for testing players and staff often and reliably, and decide what to do when, not if, players are found to have the coronavirus." Sills: "We fully expect we will have positive cases that arise because this disease is endemic in our society" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/20). In Boston, Ben Volin notes a "plan of frequent testing and tracing will be key." Sills "hopes testing supplies will increase significantly by the time football season begins." However, he said that the NFL "wouldn't hog resources needed by the public" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/20).
PLAN IN PLACE: YAHOO SPORTS' Charles Robinson noted the NFL will "have a plan to deal with" players who test positive. NFL Exec VP/Communications, Public Affairs & Policy Jeff Miller said, "Our challenge is to identify them as quickly as possible and to prevent spread to too many other participants. We're working very diligently on that." Robinson noted Miller's message indicates that the league is "preparing to press forward even in the case of new infections once the 2020 schedule gets underway in training camps" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/19). ESPN’s Jeff Darlington said the NFLPA “has to make sure this is done safely” and the league needs “to consider the potential liability of putting any employee into an environment where they could get coronavirus” (“Golic & Wingo,” ESPN Radio, 5/20).
THE MASKED SINGERS: The NFL is testing new facemasks that include some form of N95 material, NBCSN’s Chris Simms said players will be hesitant to embrace new safety protocols, citing the "hissy fit" that Tom Brady and Antonio Brown threw last year about wearing a new helmet. Simms: "You think you'll put on a facemask on those guys that's going to cover (their face)?” NBCSN's Mike Florio said, “It's going to take a real adjustment and they’ve got time, but not a ton of time” (“PFT,” NBCSN, 5/19). Falcons QB Matt Ryan said the modified facemask “sounds confusing to me." But he added, "Whatever we need to do to be able to get back out on the field and to make sure everybody’s safe, everybody’s in favor of that” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 5/19).
