On Thursday, news was disseminated by the NFL regarding the social-distancing guidelines this upcoming season. Among other guidelines, a notable decree was issued in order to mitigate contact between the players: postgame jersey exchanges will be banned for the 2020 National Football League season.
NFL teams will be forbidden from postgame interactions within 6 feet of each other and jersey exchanges between players will be prohibited during the 2020 season, sources say.
Another way the NFL will look different in the COVID-19 world.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 9, 2020
Some of the league premiere players, including Richard Sherman, Deshaun Watson, and George Kittle did not react favorably to this news.
Richard Sherman excoriated the league in typical outspoken Richard Sherman fashion.
This is a perfect example of NFL thinking in a nutshell. Players can go engage in a full contact game and do it safely. However, it is deemed unsafe for them to exchange jerseys after said game. 😂🤣😂 https://t.co/fWefsUSVDc
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) July 9, 2020
thats DAMN SILLY bro.. 🤦🏾♂️ https://t.co/QDOwn2G3bc
— Deshaun Watson (@deshaunwatson) July 9, 2020
https://t.co/JHZWTfcVmi pic.twitter.com/3SAPS4y3Vh
— George Kittle (@gkittle46) July 9, 2020
So we can tackle each other for 60min but can’t exchange jersey that takes 2 mins😂😂😂 https://t.co/5RKq54T0mH
— Darius Slay (@bigplay24slay) July 9, 2020
The players consensually perceive the new rule as hypocrisy, and while it may seem redundant, it certainly does not deserve the level of vitriol that players are giving it.
In addition to that rule, the NFL also banned on-field fan sitting, and established that players and personnel on the field must wear a mask.
All these protocols are in effect for the 2020 preseason (assuming there is a preseason). As with everything else, subject to change as the science and data evolves. https://t.co/KEzLmvSvrh
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 9, 2020
Give kudos to the NFL for trying.
