The NFL did not want to postpone games in 2021, not for outbreaks of COVID-19, not for weather, not for anything. But the best laid plans worked for 14 weeks, and as of the time of publication, three games scheduled this weekend have been postponed.
And it’s only Friday afternoon.
Testing reports are still coming in, and while it doesn’t seem likely any other games will be impacted, three teams — Washington, the Browns and The Rams — all have at least 20 players in protocol as of Friday. The league relaxed testing results standards for vaccinated players, meaning players need only one positive test — down from two — in order to be cleared. That suggests there’s a chance many, if not most, of any player who tested positive this week will be eligible to play Sunday. Or Monday. Or even Tuesday.
Similar rashes broke out last season, and multiple games were postponed, but as of now, no games have been forfeited.
Here is everything we know.
