Report: NFL will allow players to exchange jerseys by mail

NFL players will be allowed to exchange jerseys this season, but they'll be doing it in a different way.

The league is requesting that players communicate with their teams about jersey swaps so clubs can collect the apparel for cleaning before shipping it to other facilities, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Teams were informed of the new rule on Monday after the NFL partnered with Tide, which will cover the cost of one replacement jersey per player while also giving clubs a cleaning detergent.

Players can inform their team's equipment managers of a forthcoming jersey exchange through multiple methods, including email or text, Pelissero adds.

Each club's equipment manager is also responsible for removing the Kinexon device, a wearable smart tag that monitors the physical distance between players when they interact, and how long those interactions lasted. They must also put the device back onto a replacement jersey.

The league won't allow jerseys used during designated games, such as Crucial Catch and Salute to Service contests, to be exchanged. Additionally, on-field jersey swaps are subject to team discipline.

49ers cornerback Richard Sherman was among several players to criticize the NFL after it was reported in July that the league was planning to ban postgame interactions within six feet as one of its return-to-play guidelines.