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Browns, Rams, WFT nearly forfeited over COVID-19 outbreaks?

Granted, sports leagues in North America and around the world are facing COVID-19 surges ahead of Christmas, but continuing to work and live as normal certainly wasn't the wisest of courses for the NFL or any other entity this month. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Browns, Rams, Washington nearly forfeited over COVID-19 outbreaks?

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 12/17/21

It was learned back in July that an NFL team could be forced to forfeit games and, ultimately, paychecks if unable to play in any given week because of a COVID-19 outbreak among unvaccinated players. This, of course, was months before the emergence of the Omicron variant that's causing widespread breakthrough coronavirus cases throughout the NFL and much of the sports world.

Cleveland Browns-Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Football Team-Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams-Seattle Seahawks Week 15 matchups were shifted on the schedule due to outbreaks affecting Cleveland, Washington and Los Angeles, and it appears those three clubs came closer to taking losses than anybody knew as of Friday morning.

According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, the Browns, Rams and Washington were "on the verge of forfeits this week" that would've cost all six of the previously mentioned clubs money:

Thread…

Sources from talks between NFL, #Browns, #Rams, Washington & union say all 3 teams were on the verge of forfeits this week. All would then have forfeited game checks. #Raiders, #Seahawks and #Eagles also wouldn’t have been paid, per guidelines sent to teams this summer.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) December 17, 2021

Postponement agreement for all three teams was reached after union argued that situation qualified as “uncontrolled spread despite adherence to protocols”. The goal of the union was to make sure all six teams’ players didn’t lose their game checks.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) December 17, 2021

There has been a growing backlash from players in the midst of all of this — particularly in the face of advanced protocols being resumed through this weekend league-wide. A swath of players have voiced that they would like all Covid protocols and testing dropped permanently.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) December 17, 2021

Neither the NFL or the union appears to be on board with the total removal of Covid testing and protocols, but the push by players will likely lean into the adjustment of the future testing regimen for vaccinated players and lead to less testing and fewer protocols.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) December 17, 2021

Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report added:

To be clear:

1. Forfeit would occur IF game couldn't be rescheduled within original 18-week timeline. They've been rescheduled.

2. IF a game had to be forfeited, players wouldn't be paid thanks to previously agreed upon negotiations.

3. NFL adjusted based on new variant.
— Brent Sobleski (@brentsobleski) December 17, 2021

Both the NFL and NFL Players Association supposedly understood there would be a potentially massive increase in positive COVID-19 tests coming off the Thanksgiving holiday and also because of the Omicron variant, which leads one to wonder why the two parties didn't agree to daily testing and enhanced coronavirus protocols for all clubs and personnel weeks ago.

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