NFL players union calls for daily COVID-19 testing

The NFL’s Players Association (NFLPA) is calling for the league to conduct daily COVID-19 testing for fully vaccinated players. 

In a column on the NFLPA website published Tuesday, union president and Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter wrote that the league’s updated COVID-19 rules won’t be enough to protect players’ safety. 

Last week, the NFL revised its COVID-19 protocol memo, advising that vaccinated players should be tested weekly instead of every 14 days. 

“Since the beginning of training camp, we have been testing our vaccinated players once every 14 days. It has been ineffective as we’ve had significantly more incidents of transmission inside the building this year than last year,” Tretter wrote.

“The NFLPA saw this coming months ago and has been advocating for a return to daily testing because it is more effective way to stop and prevent the spread of the coronavirus in our locker rooms. However, the NFL decided to move to weekly testing; and while that is a step in the right direction, it leaves us open to many of the same problems we’ve been facing,” he added. 

Daily testing was key to saving our season last year and it’s not too late to put it back in place now. Also, no, the NFLPA did not recommend the taunting change. More here: https://t.co/oNiw2RleyF

— JC Tretter (@JCTretter) September 7, 2021

Tretter also wrote that the league is at risk of canceling more games this season if it still continue with its current testing method. 

“If we continue to go down this path, I need everyone in the football community to be aware of what lies ahead,” Tretter added. 

This comes as the league announced that 93 percent of their players are vaccinated against the virus, according to The Associated Press.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons are the only two teams in the league that have all their players vaccinated.  

The Hill has reached out to the NFL for comment.