NFL eliminates daily testing for unvaccinated players

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The NFL is eliminating the distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated players for the remainder of the postseason, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports.

In a memo to the eight remaining playoff teams, the league announced it is doing away with required daily COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated players. Only about a dozen unvaccinated players on the playoff teams have not tested positive for the virus, according to Pelissero, so those are the only players affected by the change to testing cadence.

Those unvaccinated players now join vaccinated players in testing for COVID-19 only if experiencing symptoms or are included in random testing.

Previously, unvaccinated players who tested positive for the virus were given a 90-day test “holiday” before resuming daily testing. Under the previous rules, Aaron Rodgers, an unvaccinated player who tested positive for COVID-19 in November, would have had to resume daily testing two days after the NFC Championship Game if the Packers qualified for the Super Bowl. Now, he won’t.

Players on a 90-day test “holiday” will have to test for COVID-19 if experiencing symptoms, Pelissero adds.

The NFL had only three players test positive for the virus this week, according to Howard Balzer of allcardinals.com. Bills defensive tackle Eli Ankou, who is on the practice squad, Titans cornerback Greg Mabin and Bengals linebacker Joe Bachie, who is on injured reserve, were the only players to test positive this week.