Within the last five days, NBC News reports that the NFL has recorded more than 150 new cases of COVID-19. As a result, the NFL has made the decision to postpone three games. Instead of playing on Saturday, the Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns will play on Monday at 5 p.m ET. Meanwhile, Sunday’s Seattle Seahawks-Los Angeles Rams and Washington Football Team-Philadelphia Eagles games have been delayed until 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The league points to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 for the spike in positive tests and subsequent postponements.
“We have made these schedule changes based on medical advice and after discussion with the NFLPA as we are seeing a new, highly transmissible form of the virus this week resulting in a substantial increase in cases across the league,” a press statement from the NFL reads.
“We continue to make decisions in consultation with medical experts to ensure the health and safety of the NFL community.”
The spread of COVID-19 within the NFL is not limited to three games. New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton, Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver and a number of other stars have entered league health and safety protocols heading into this weekend’s slate of games.
