On the heels of a chaotic 2020 NFL season, the week of Super Bowl 2021 will look very different from years past.
Because of COVID-19 protocols this year, Super Bowl 2021 participants will not be permitted to arrive any earlier than the Friday before the game, league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Teams typically arrive to the Super Bowl host city one week before the game to acclimate and participate in media day, practices and other events.
All media-related interactions including media day, typically held on the Monday night prior to the game, will be done virtually as most press events have been conducted all season.
The Super Bowl 2021 matchup will be decided on Sunday at the conclusion of the Bills-Chiefs game in Kansas City.
Schefter added that the Bills and Packers are planning to arrive on Friday, Feb. 5 if they win their respective matchups. The Chiefs would plan to arrive on Saturday, Feb. 6.
This, of course, would not impact the Buccaneers should they defeat the Packers on Sunday. The Super Bowl — which will take place on Feb. 7 — will be held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, which would be the first time a participating team would play a Super Bowl in its home stadium. The stadium itself has already been transformed by removing many team insignias and banners to create a more neutral feel (the Buccaneers play in Green Bay on Sunday), though the home team would still have the advantage of not having to travel.
Florida’s lenient COVID-19 guidelines have allowed the Buccaneers to permit live attendance at 20 percent of its 65,000-person capacity. The number of attendees to Super Bowl 2021 was recently increased from 14,500 to 22,000 to accommodate an additional 7,500 vaccinated healthcare workers who will receive free tickets, lodging and travel in honor of their service and sacrifices throughout the pandemic.