Enough spitballing.
NFL procedures for coronavirus testing are close to being agreed upon, executives from the players association told certified player agents during a Monday conference call.
NFLPA medical director Thom Mayer shared that the plan is to test all players (and presumably coaches) when they arrive, and then three times per week, The Post confirmed. He said there is a “90 percent chance” reliable saliva testing is available before players return to team facilities. A player who tests positive will be quarantined.
Training camps are scheduled to open around July 28. The union expects to settle on final league-approved protocols in the next 30 days, which would give teams about two weeks to make arrangements.
The call came on the same day NFL Network revealed multiple members of the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys, including star running back Ezekiel Elliott, tested positive. Elliott was angry his privacy was invaded.
“HIPAA??” Elliott wrote on Twitter in reference to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which prohibits doctors from sharing personal medical information without a patient’s consent.
Media is not restricted by the government act. Elliott’s agent Rocky Arceneaux told NFL Network his client is feeling well. The Cowboys cited federal and local privacy laws in declining comment on Elliott’s status.
“My agent only confirmed,” Elliot tweeted. “The story was already written. Reporters had been called my agent all morning.”
None of the players were in the team facilities in accordance with NFL rules, but Elliott and quarterback Dak Prescott were seen at a party not practicing social distancing in April. The reported number of coronavirus cases is spiking again in Texas, which was one of the first states to reopen from pandemic restrictions.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the positive tests do not impact the NFL’s plan to return because they are inevitable even with “stringent” guidelines in place.
“The issue is: Can we prevent as many as those from happening [and] in addition treat them quickly and prevent them from impacting other personnel?” Goodell said on ESPN’s “The Return of Sports” special. “I think our protocols are working.”
Multiple agents on the NFLPA call came away thinking there are still many unknowns: What if multiple players on a team test positive? What happens to the schedule if one state is shut down in-season? Will a player with an underlying health risk be paid if he sits out?
“I appreciated them setting up the call and sharing some info,” one agent told The Post. “The NFLPA and league intend and understand they will/could have multiple issues/challenges that come up and need to be addressed quickly. Lots of questions. More questions than answers — and that’s not a criticism.”
The NFLPA also estimated to agents that playing a season with no fans could cost $3 billion in lost revenue and affect the 2021 salary cap.