Report: Some Officials Believe NFL Needs Local Bubbles to Prevent COVID-19 Spread

CINCINNATI — The NFL has put a plethora of safety measures in place, as they hope to keep players, coaches and personnel from all 32 teams safe during the 2020 season.

Over the past two weeks they've had an outbreak in Tennessee, where 12 Titans' players and nine staff members tested positive.

Stars like Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore tested positive for the virus.

There are currently 17 players on the NFL's COVID-19 list.

"Risk mitigation, not elimination, is the key," NFL chief medical officer Allen Sills said earlier this week. "Our protocols are designed to quickly identify new cases, get individuals the care they need, and prevent further spread of the virus."

Due to the recent outbreak in Tennessee, some around the league believe it's time for the NFL to create a bubble.

"Roughly 170 'Tier 1' & 'Tier 2' go home every night. We need to reduce the approx 170 chances every night, times 32 teams, times 7 days a week to create an outbreak," an NFL employee told Josina Anderson. "The plan we have is a flawed plan. We need local hard bubbles."

Anderson asked Browns Pro Bowl wide receiver Jarvis Landry about a potential NFL bubble.

"We want to play football," Landry said. "I think for us, the logistics of that probably would be crazy, but if it's something that helps us accomplish what we want to accomplish, which is play football, then I'm for it."

NEW CLIP: #Browns WR Jarvis Landry to me on being a father and family man and balancing handling CoVID precautions and measures in the NFL 2020 season; and whether he's in favor of local hard bubbles on 'Undefined'. pic.twitter.com/H7uWIVhoci
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) October 9, 2020

The league is willing to put players in hotels for the remainder of the season according to Mike Florio. Would the Players Association sign off on such a move?

The NFL has moved two games back by one day, but all 15 Week 5 contests are scheduled to be played by Tuesday.

For more on the Bengals, including the latest NFL news, go here!