The NFL and NFLPA have agreed to conduct daily testing on players for COVID-19.
The move comes as Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs rookies have already reported to their respective team facilities. With training camp on the horizon, the league and the union continue to work out safe workplace practices amid the pandemic.
According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the daily testing will be conducted for the first two weeks of training camp. At that point, if less than 5% of the players test positive, the testing will shift to every other day. If 5% or more of the players continue to test positive, then the daily testing will continue.
NFL and NFLPA have agreed to test daily for COVID-19 for first two weeks of camp. They will then shift to every other day testing if less than five percent of players test positive. Should that not happen, daily testing will continue
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) July 20, 2020
According to NFL.com columnist Judy Battista, an anonymous NFL owner told her that they should expect positive results in the beginning.
“Another note on NFL testing: was told by one owner that they have been told to expect the positive tests to possibly be high early on as players arrive from home, before everybody gets into the protocol of regular testing,” Battista wrote. “Then expected to level off.”
The NFL proposed cutting the preseason down to just one game to give teams and players extra prep time to get ready for an unprecedented season.
