Finally, an NFL suspension that should make everyone happy! As more and more cities, states, and countries relax their COVID-related restrictions, the National Football League is following suit.

While the annual Scouting Combine continues in Indianapolis, news came Thursday afternoon that the league has suspended, with immediate effect, all of its various pandemic-based protocols for players, coaches, and other team staff. NFL Network broke the news, citing a leaked internal memo that the outlet made public.

This is another positive step toward a return to overall normal life routines, but the memo also emphasized that teams must still adhere to any local and state measures that might be in place. Clubs can also continue to maintain any restrictions that they feel are necessary in their particular headquarters, if they so choose. That said, for the most part, starting today, teams no longer need to require their personnel to:

·      wear masks (regardless of vaccination status),

·      undergo mandatory COVID testing, regardless of any individual's vaccination status,

·      wear tracking devices to monitor social distancing,

·      limit their numbers in gathering areas such as weight rooms and other team facilities.

These and other measures have been in place for most of the past two years, and the NFL reserved the right to reinstate these and any other protocols that may be needed in the future, should the current trends suddenly change for the worse. But with reported cases now on the decline throughout the United States and the general severity of the illness appearing to weaken, life in the 2022 NFL season could look a lot more like 2019 and the other years B.C. (Before COVID).