The NFL will reportedly no longer allow players to exchange jerseys after games and all postgame interactions must be at least six feet apart — coronavirus guidelines that generated almost immediate pushback from players.
The NFL and the NFL Players Association rolled out rule changes to make sure the 2020 season can be played as safely as possible, the NFL Network reported.
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson blasted the rules on Twitter, calling them “DAMN SILLY.”
“Then explain to me why are they allowing us to play at all?” he wrote.
Former NFL team doctor David Chao tweeted that he agreed.
“This move is more about optics than medical reality. With the concept of viral load and how CoronaVirus is transmitted, this is a low risk event compared to the playing of the game,” Chao wrote.
Star 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman also was dismissive of the changes.
“This is a perfect example of NFL thinking in a nutshell,” Sherman tweeted Thursday.
“Players can go engage in a full-contact game and do it safely. However, it is deemed unsafe for them to exchange jerseys after said game.”
There’s still time to change the plan, NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero tweeted.
“While the joint NFL-NFLPA medical committee has worked together for months to develop various protocols, a union source says the game-day protocols sent to clubs last night — including the ban on postgame jersey swaps — have not yet been agreed to,” he wrote. "Still a work in progress."
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