Mayfield rips NFL for moving forward with Browns-Raiders game amid outbreak
Baker Mayfield criticized the NFL on Thursday for not postponing the Cleveland Browns' game with the Las Vegas Raiders amid the AFC North club's COVID-19 outbreak.
Mayfield is one of 20 players, along with head coach Kevin Stefanski, who has apparently tested positive. The quarterback accused the league of thinking primarily about its bottom line.
@NFL Make up your damn mind on protocols. Showing up and making only 3 teams test?!? All so you can keep the game as scheduled to make money.
— Baker Mayfield (@bakermayfield) December 16, 2021
Tell me if this makes sense…. No tests this morning… then let our team gather for practice… then show up after practice to test them. Something seems off here.
— Baker Mayfield (@bakermayfield) December 16, 2021
Teams attempted not to test vaccinated, asymptomatic players Thursday before the NFL Players Association stepped in, sources told Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio.
Also, the NFLPA is currently pushing aggressively for a postponement of the Raiders-Browns game on Saturday. Some in the union believe the entire season should shut down for a week. The union is concerned about player safety and game integrity.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 16, 2021
Nick Mullens is reportedly in line to start for Cleveland with Mayfield and backup Case Keenum on the COVID-19 reserve list.
Mayfield's criticism comes in the wake of the NFL's decision to update its COVID-19 protocols following a league-wide increase in cases.
The league relaxed return-to-play guidelines and has placed every team in enhanced protocols until the end of Week 15.
The Raiders haven't recorded any positive results this week.
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