National Football League

Social media reacts to NFL's game-changing COVID-19 memo

Published Jul. 22, 2021 8:57 p.m. ET

The NFL isn't requiring its players to receive a COVID vaccine, but it's certainly trying to incentivize them to do so.

On Thursday, the NFL sent a memo informing clubs that "if a game cannot be rescheduled during the 18-week schedule due to a COVID-19 outbreak among unvaccinated players, the team with the outbreak will forfeit and be credited with a loss."

"We do not anticipate adding a '19th week' to accommodate games that cannot be rescheduled within the current 18 weeks of the regular season," the memo stated.

In addition, players on both teams will not be paid for the lost contest, and the team responsible for the canceled game will need to cover financial losses and be subjected to potential discipline from the Commissioner's office.

The NFL strongly intends to avoid constant roster juggling and schedule adjustments this year – what Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, referred to as a "24-hour stress cycle" – and to play its entire 272-game schedule over the allotted 18 weeks. The memo also stated that vaccinated individuals who test positive and are asymptomatic can return after two negative tests 24 hours apart, while unvaccinated players are still subject to a mandatory 10-day isolation period.

Currently, more than 78% of players league-wide have had at least one shot, and 14 clubs have at least 85% of their players vaccinated, per NFL Network's Judy Battista. In addition, all 32 teams have at least a 50% vaccination rate among players, per Tom Pelissero.

Shortly after the news broke on Thursday, Arizona Cardinals superstar wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins tweeted, then deleted, a hazy message about questioning his "future in the NFL."

If the five-time Pro Bowler were to actually retire, he would owe the Cardinals $22 million in unearned signing bonus money, per NBC Sports.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield offered a different take while speaking at his youth football camp on Wednesday, placing the importance on public health and saying that being vaccinated puts a player in an advantageous position.

"It definitely poses a competitive advantage for higher vaccine rates on your team just because of the close contact [rules] and what happens if somebody does, unfortunately, get COVID, what can happen to the rest of the building," Mayfield said. "It’s a competitive advantage but it’s also way more than that. It’s about safety and just general health and well-being of human life. So I’d leave it at that."

The upcoming NFL season is slated to begin on Sept. 9.

Here's how NFL players to politicians to the rest of the sports world reacted to the news:

This is a developing story.

For more up-to-date news on all things NFL, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!