The NFL will not discipline players for “high-risk COVID conduct” during the offseason, the NFLPA informed players this weekend.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the league will not discipline players for activities such as going to bars or indoor events with crowds, which were off limits last offseason.
Former Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins, now with the Steelers, paid a $40,000 fine and was stripped of his captaincy last year for off-field behavior that violated COVID-19 protocols.
The NFL still will allow clubs to discipline players for violating protocols within team facilities, such as refusal to wear a mask, Pelissero adds.
Most teams begin the virtual portion of offseason programs Monday. Phase Three, the only phase that will consist of on-field work, will include 10 on-field voluntary in-person practices and a three-day mandatory minicamp that will run from May 24-June 18.
The NFLPA is recommending players skip voluntary in-person work, and players from 19 teams have issued statements that at least some of their players will not show up.