(New York, NY) — The NFL says teams with COVID outbreaks among unvaccinated players will have to forfeit games if they can’t be rescheduled. The league says the team responsible for a canceled game will also have to cover financial losses, and may be subject to potential discipline from the commissioner. The NFL said it doesn’t plan to add a “19th week” to fit in games that need to be made up. This is the first year the NFL will play 17 games instead of 16, making the regular season 18 weeks long.
(Undated) — Arizona Cardinals star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is speaking out after the NFL released a memo on its protocols for COVID-19 outbreaks this season. Hopkins said, in a tweet he later deleted, that he would “question” his future playing in the NFL if he was forced into receiving the vaccine. This came after the league announced teams will have to forfeit games if there is a COVID outbreak among unvaccinated players on the roster. Hopkins later tweeted “got about 9 more years in me” to clarify he doesn’t intend to step away from football.
