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NFL physicals are indefinitely discontinued,

apparently
Mike Florio
ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports ● March 24, 2020, 3:30 AM PDT

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Six days after the launch of free agency and the commencement of the period for
trades and other official NFL business, one of the most important aspects of player
acquisition has been significantly curtailed, if not entirely shut down.

The doctor who serves as president of the NFL Physicians Society has sent a letter to
the NFL and the NFL Players Association explaining that physicals will end until the
COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

“The Board of Directors of the NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS) have met by phone
NFL notebook: Cowboys Pro Bowl C Frederick
and communicated with members of Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society retires
(PFATS) that the NFLPS has agreed to discontinue Combine rechecks, free-agent Reuters
physicals and physicals for non-Combine players until the health crisis has passed,”
wrote Dr. Anthony Casolaro, who serves as co-head physician of the Washington NFL
franchise. “We believe It is not in the interest of the players nor team medical staff to
continue to perform these physicals. At a time of the most serious pandemic in our
lifetime, we believe medical resources should focus on those who are ill or in need of
care. We look forward to examining players when it is appropriate to do so.”

The full impact of the letter isn’t clear. For example, the portion of the letter posted by
NFL.com does not address physicals conducted pursuant to a trade, like the one that
AP sources: QB moves: Panthers add XFL's
will send cornerback Quinton Dunbar from Washington to Seattle. Although the Walker, trade Allen
procedures for such examinations have been significantly altered by the league’s The Associated Press
COVID-19 procedures (i.e., a neutral physician must be located in the player’s
geographic area), Casolaro’s letter would, if applicable to trades, table the Dunbar
physical indefinitely.

If the letter applies that broadly — and if it’s binding on the league and the NFLPA —
it would completely derail any potential Cam Newton trade. That said, a Newton trade
was and is a long shot given that no team would roll the dice on a player with such an
extensive injury history without its doctors having a chance to examine him.

At a minimum, the letter complicates the ongoing effort of free agents with injury
NFL doctors stopping all physicals until
issues to be signed, including most notably defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. The coronavirus pandemic passes
letter also makes it much more difficult for teams to get updated information on draft NBC Sports BayArea
prospects with physical red flags; the mid-April Combine recheck traditionally has
served as a significant point on the calendar. Those won’t happen, enhancing the risk Post Fun Ad
of drafting players who have injuries that are or were still healing.

PFT has asked the league for comment on whether and to what extent this letter will
indeed end physicals pending the resolution of a pandemic that currently has no end
in sight.

NFL physicals are indefinitely discontinued, apparently originally appeared on Pro

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