The post-game jersey swap will be on pause in the NFL this season.
The league and NFLPA have agreed to several changes to this year’s game-day interaction amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero:
The ban on postgame jersey exchanges was included in NFL-NFLPA game-day protocols that clubs received last night. Other notable changes for 2020:
– On-field fan seating is prohibited.
– Both teams must travel to the stadium via bus.
– Media will be banned from the locker room. https://t.co/WizWrySFvU
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 9, 2020
The league memo also highlights that teams will not be able to interact within a six-foot area, ultimately eliminating post-game handshakes and close-area congratulatory measures form the 2020 contests.
The NFL has not stated if there will be penalties for players who violate this new policy. The post-game handshake, jersey exchange, and game discussions have been a part of the fabric of players’ interactions for years and are ingrained in their actions.
The policy is already receiving criticism from players, including Bills offensive lineman Jon Feliciano. He sees a pretty logical flaw:
🤣🤣🤣🤣 yooo so we could hit each for 60 minutes but we can’t switch jerseys, y’all look stupid
— Jonathan Feliciano (@MongoFeliciano) July 9, 2020
This seems to make sense, as how could a post-game interaction be any more dangerous than the interactions throughout the game? The NFL may be revisiting this issue in the future.
As for now, let’s hope the teams will be on the field to consider swapping jerseys in the fall
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