Harry Wilmerding
Tom Brady said Sunday that he tested positive for COVID-19 after winning the 2021 Super Bowl and thinks the virus will be a bigger problem this season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback confirmed that he had COVID-19 after celebrating his seventh Super Bowl victory in February, and he added that he believes the virus will be more of a challenge as the league relaxes restrictions, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
“I think it’s going to be challenging this year. I actually think it’s going to play more of a factor than last year, just because of the way what we’re doing now and what the stadium is going to look like and what the travel is going to look like and the people in the building and the fans,” Brady told the Tampa Bay Times.
“It’s not like last year, although we’re getting tested like last year. It’s going to be, I definitely think guys are going to be out at different points, and we’ve just got to deal with it,” Brady added.
The NFL updated its COVID-19 protocols on Aug. 30, continuing to require daily tests for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated players but now demanding weekly testing for vaccinated players rather than every two weeks, as previously required.
The league also requires vaccinated staff and coaches to wear masks while working indoors, and it requires unvaccinated players to wear masks while in weight rooms or other indoor practice facilities.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the second team, along with the Atlanta Falcons, to reach a 100% vaccination rate among players, Buccaneer’s Coach Bruce Arians announced Thursday.
“We’re 100% vaccinated — our entire organization-all players, all the coaches, everybody,” Arians said.
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