NFL, NFLPA mandate players wear masks on game day

The NFL and NFL Players Association have updated health and safety protocols for completing the season amid the worsening coronavirus pandemic. 

Per Nick Shook of NFL.com, the league is now requiring all players and other personnel to wear masks or other face coverings at all times inside locker rooms on game days. This includes halftime, pre-game and post-game. Those who participate in postgame interactions must also wear coverings over noses and mouths.

"Wearing a mask or approved face covering may be the difference between being designated a 'High Risk Close Contact' or not," a memo sent to players reads. 

Additionally, players and personnel are encouraged to wear "masks or double-layered gaiters" while on the sidelines during games. New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was seen sporting a mask while reviewing a play on the sideline during the Monday night loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

The NFL and NFLPA claim that seven players deemed "high-risk close contacts" of an infected individual from a team presumed to be the Baltimore Ravens could have avoided enforced isolation had they worn proper face coverings during interactions. 

Moving forward, home teams are required to provide at least 250 disposable surgical masks on the sidelines for both clubs on game days. The league is also emphasizing that teams practice social distancing on the sidelines. 

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported on Monday that the NFL competition committee has a contingency plan that includes expanding the playoffs to 16 teams if games are canceled due to future virus outbreaks and subsequent quarantines. The standard 17-week regular season is scheduled to end, in full, on Jan. 3.