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Last offseason was a whirlwind of COVID-19 and lack of scientific knowledge surrounding the new disease. It’s been a year almost and the science behind this virus is strong enough for organizations like the NFL to begin laying out a framework to continue full operation despite the virus being nowhere near contained.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated broke down what that looks like for the 2021 NFL Scouting Combine late last week.
It will not be 100% virtual, but there are plans to break things up into groups small enough to manage and contain the key factors with how COVID spreads. The key takeaways from Breer’s post about are:
- No group combine workout in Indianapolis.
- Medical evaluations and physical workouts will be held separately.
- Teams can visit states where players are doing combine prep. 85% of player prospects are currently working out in Florida, California, Arizona, and Texas.
- Testing. Lots of it.
- Interviews will be conducted via Zoom rather than in person.
So it sounds more like a lot of travelling for front office staff from each team, but a lot less travel and exposure for the player prospects themselves, which is ideal for the NFL to continue into its offseason program with as few COVID-19 outbreaks as possible.