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Per Pro Football Talk, the NFL intends to change the injured reserve rules this season to create a COVID-19 classification. PFT says players who test positive will be placed on the COVID-19 list for three weeks, which would create a roster spot that would then be filled by a player who has tested negative for COVID-19. If you do last on the COVID list, your normal salary will remain unchanged.
My question is, what happens after the three weeks, and the player still has symptoms or cannot return? Do they have to go on the originally injured reserve and can’t be brought back for another five weeks? You don’t want to shut a player down, but you also lose out on a roster spot. These discussions are still ongoing, and the owners will meet Friday to vote. More questions than answers remain at this time.
Texans star defensive lineman tweeted this:
In the interest of having everyone on the same page in terms of what we know and don’t know at this time, here are a few things I’ve learned being on four NFLPA calls in the last two weeks with hundreds of other players.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 16, 2020
Keep in mind our rookies are scheduled to report in 48 hrs pic.twitter.com/wAH1XyQenf
July 28, the start of training camp for most teams, is right around the corner. The Ravens and Chiefs report this weekend. Just a hunch, but I think we’ll see these dates moved back. Honestly, it seems like the NFL operated under the assumption that the pandemic would be gone come July/August, and we’d be in the clear to play football. The NFL was wrong.