NFL to mandate booster for employees amid COVID-19 surge

Dec. 14 (UPI) -- NFL employees must receive a vaccine booster shot by Dec. 27 amid a coronavirus surge, which led to 36 players being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list in one day, the league announced in a memo sent to its 32 teams.

The league sent the memo Monday, the same day teams three dozen players on the list, representing the largest number of additions in a single day since the list was created in 2020.

Sources told ESPN and the Washington Post that 37 total players tested positive, with one of the results emerging after teams placed players on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The booster mandate applies to Tier 1 and 2 personnel, who are vaccinated and eligible under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

That personnel group includes: coaches, physicians, trainers, necessary personnel who need direct access to players, general managers, football operations employees and other assistant coaches.

Sources told NFL Network, ESPN and the Washington Post that a Washington Football Team Tier 3 staff member also tested positive for the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The Tier 3 personnel group includes operation workers, in-house media or broadcasters and field managers, as well as other employees.

The NFL's mandate does not apply to players because player requirements must be negotiated by the NFL Players Association. The latest round of postitive rest results included 25 players on active rosters and 11 from practice squads.

Several key players were among those who landed on the list this week, including: Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Rashawn Slater and Washington Football Team defensive lineman Jonathan Allen.

The Rams placed a total of four players for their active roster on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday, according to the NFL transaction wire. Washington and the Minnesota Vikings each placed three players on the list.

Week 15 of the 2021 NFL season starts when the Los Angeles Chargers host the Kansas City Chiefs at 8:20 p.m. EST Thursday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.