Cowboys cheerleaders are planning to perform elsewhere in AT&T Stadium with the restrictionsGETTY IMAGES
NFL games will have no on-field guests, entertainment or independent media this season, part of a new set of protocols released by the league to minimize risk of a COVID-19 outbreak during the season. Owners will be allowed, however. Field access will be strictly limited to people in 10 categories with direct roles in producing or recording the game itself. They will all be subject to either NFL testing, or testing from their own employer or union. NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills said, "It’s safe to say the field will look very different this year, there will be markedly fewer people in and around the field, certainly very restricted access." Two team media employees will be allowed on the field, but no independent sideline reporters will be permitted. Also banned from the field: pregame TV reporters, athletic trainer spotters, cheerleaders, mascots, guests, non-working or non-essential team staff. As determined earlier this summer, no on-field seating is allowed (Ben Fischer, THE DAILY). In Dallas, Michael Gehlken notes the Cowboys cheerleaders are "planning to perform elsewhere inside AT&T Stadium" during games (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/20).
WORKING WITH ON-FIELD PPE: Sills said that Oakley is "working on a second version of a face shield that can be worn inside the facemask on players’ helmets to try to limit the spread of air particles." THE ATHLETIC's Lindsay Jones noted players have been "testing Oakley’s initial version of the protective face shield over the past week." Sills said feedback has been “mixed.” He also said that players are "encouraged to wear some sort of face covering while on the field, which could include a medical mask or a gaiter-style mask that can be pulled up from around the neck." But Jones noted photographs published by individual teams over the past few days "reveal few players at this point are choosing to do so" (THEATHLETIC.com, 8/19).
HOPEFUL ABOUT NEW TEST: Sills said that the league will "evaluate whether to include a new rapid-response saliva test developed through Yale University and the NBA." Sills: "We will continue to track that. I personally think it’s a very exciting development." In Houston, Aaron Wilson reports the NFL is "still considering whether daily testing will be conducted during the regular season." The current agreement between the NFL and the NFLPA runs through Sept. 5 (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/20).
