The NFL is not looking to navigate away from its current playoff format in favor of a postseason bubble despite numerous recent COVID-19 outbreaks.
"We're proceeding as is," NFL executive Troy Vincent said Tuesday, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
The league's chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, stated a bubble wouldn't completely prevent infections from occurring.
"We don't feel that is the safest course of action for us," Sills said.
Sills also expressed concerns about the emotional and behavioral toll on isolated players.
"That is just as much of a health and safety concern as COVID-19 infection," Sills added.
The league acknowledged in August it could institute a bubble for the postseason in order to guard against COVID-19 issues. The NBA and NHL both executed playoff bubbles to perfection, finishing their respective seasons without a single positive test for COVID-19.
However, the NFL did seem open to the possibility of extending the regular season and pushing back the Super Bowl.
"If there's one consistent theme to our season, it's flexibility and adapting," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told the media, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
After coasting through the opening weeks of the season, the NFL has encountered several recent issues stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. The league has already rescheduled several games, while the New England Patriots became the first team to have a positive test sideline a starting quarterback after Cam Newton contracted the coronavirus before New England's Week 4 clash with the Kansas City Chiefs.
