Why a Bubble is the Only Thing That Can Save the NFL Postseason

By Zachary Siegel ‘24

The NFL playoffs are set for January, and with many obstacles facing the league, it is still unclear how they may look. As of week 10 of this season, 50% of NFL teams have had at least one case of COVID-19, and that percentage is only increasing.

    Throughout the regular season, the NFL has responded to numerous COVID-19 outbreaks among team rosters by rescheduling games to later in the week or season, but that is not an option in a single-elimination playoff format. With the postseason fast approaching, The NFL’s only solution to this pandemic is a bubble. 
    When COVID-19 first swept across the country last March, all major sports were immediately postponed. Adam Silver, commissioner of the NBA, proposed the idea of finishing the season and postseason in a completely isolated environment: a bubble. The process couldn’t have gone any smoother; the NBA season finished with zero positive cases after 107 days inside the bubble. 
    COVID-19 outbreaks within teams have become normalized across the NFL. These outbreaks usually lead to key players being forced to sit out games or a full rescheduling of the contest. In a playoff environment, however, this half-hearted solution would be totally unacceptable, as games cannot be pushed back as part of the playoff bracket. 
    The biggest challenge that has plagued this year’s NFL season has not been on the field, but off it. With a number of new protocols in effect at practice facilities and during games, league officials say that there is no evidence of the virus being transmitted at team activities. Instead, the players and coaches are contracting the virus outside team facilities where social distancing guidelines are not in place and where players come in contact with people outside the NFL.
    A bubble would limit exposures to the outside world and monitoring players would ensure that they follow the NFL’s COVID-19 guidelines. This approach is the best way to proceed with the NFL playoffs, avoid postponements and keep players safe and healthy. In fact, it would be much easier for the NFL to construct a bubble for the playoffs compared to the regular season, as it only includes 14 teams rather than all 32.
    While many sports fans and pundits join in proposing a playoff bubble to avoid rescheduling or losing key players to COVID-19, many league officials have publicly stated that a bubble is not necessary.
    ​“We don't feel that [it] is the safest course of action for us,” NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills said during a virtual meeting with NFL owners last month. 
    Since the meeting, cases of COVID-19 have continued to skyrocket across the country and throughout the NFL.  A bubble environment for the playoffs would lead to a decrease in COVID-19 cases across the teams and an eventual champion crowned in February.  
    Should the league pursue a bubble, there are several key topics that cannot be ignored. Most importantly, the NFL must continue with its COVID-19 protocols and guidelines, and players should not be permitted to leave the bubble or interact with non-NFL personnel. Food should be catered to the hotel where players are staying, and private team activities should be available for players during their free time. 
    The biggest challenge facing the NFL while constructing a bubble is how to allow players’ families access to the isolated environment. The NBA had the families enter the bubble following the conclusion of the second round of the playoffs and had them tested along with the players every day. The NFL should take a similar approach by having the families enter the bubble shortly after the players begin team practices, and then having them tested with the players and staff as the playoffs progress. 
    The NFL’s top priorities when making these decisions are fan viewership and player safety, and I think a bubble would ensure both of those. Not only would a bubble limit COVID-19 cases across the league, but it will also help keep the fans’ favorite players on the field when it matters most.