Over 150 NFL Draft prospects may boycott the league’s upcoming scouting combine due to its COVID-19 policies. Agents representing these players are encouraging their clients not to participate in all testing, on-field workouts and interviews at the Indianapolis event if the proposed combine has bubble restrictions, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
The NFL announced that it planned on confining players to a bubble to avoid canceling the event, which is slated to take place between March 1-7, for a second straight year.
These bubble restrictions only allow players to bring one “medical support person,” who must be fully vaccinated and require players to remain within the combine’s venue for the duration of the event. If players are caught not following these rules, they will be forced to leave the combine.
In response, agents began organizing the boycott. Reportedly, the limitations placed on coaches and trainers is the main policy these prospects want overturned. They plan on not participating in any event besides the medical evaluation or not attending the combine if the NFL does not loosen its planned restrictions.
The NFL Players’ Association threw its support behind the boycott in a letter sent to agents on Sunday.
“We have spoken to several agents to reinforce our long standing opposition to the NFL Scouting Combine and agree and support the decisions by those to not attend,” the NFLPA said. “The combination of the NFL’s proposed “bubble” and fact that we still have an antiquated system of every team doctor examining players and having them perform yet again needs serious modification or elimination. While we do not represent these players we have advocated for their rights to fair treatment.
“Our union has always encouraged players to take control of their careers from the very beginning and we appreciate that agents are looking at ways to support that goal.”
In addition, prospects voiced their concerns last week about schedule changes made to the combine, such as planning bench press workouts and on-field work for the same day, which many believe will decrease their ability to perform at their best. While initially, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reported that players planned on skipping the bench press, he later added that some draft prospects planned on not attending the combine because of these changes.
