Only a handful of players are expected to sit out the divisional round of the playoffs due to COVID. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

NFL, NFLPA relax COVID protocols for unvaccinated players

By Adam Stites | Last updated 1/21/22

A month after the NFL and NFLPA announced vaccinated, asymptomatic players would be tested less often, the pair of organizations sent a joint memo to teams Friday that extended those relaxed protocols to unvaccinated players.

Players who haven't been vaccinated against COVID-19 will no longer be subject to daily testing under the new protocols. There will no longer be a distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated players, and all players will now be subject to "symptom-based testing and targeted surveillance testing," according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Pelissero reported that the decision was made largely because the majority of the unvaccinated players on playoff rosters have already contracted COVID and already weren't subject to daily tests. Only about a dozen players will be affected by the change.

Last note: Individuals on a 90-day test “holiday” after having COVID are still subject to testing if they have symptoms, regardless of vaccination status. So while positive tests are near-zero right now, it’s still possible any player could miss a playoff game, if they’re sick.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 21, 2022