Big news Sunday night that could have a serious impact on next month’s NFL Combine. According to reporting from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, agents are organizing to have over 150 players boycott all portions of the 2022 Combine except for medical evaluations. That boycott stems from the league’s decision to create a bubble for the player’s time there, heavily restricting access to trainers and other staff.
Agents representing more than 150 draft prospects are organizing a boycott of all testing, on-field workouts and interviews at next month’s NFL scouting combine if heavy “bubble” restrictions aren’t changed, sources tell me and @TomPelissero
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 21, 2022
Unless the NFL and the combine agree to ease those restrictions — allowing players access to their full team of coaches, trainers, ATCs et al. as in past years — many top prospects will only do medical evaluations next month in Indianapolis. https://t.co/orMpYcx3qD
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 21, 2022
While it’s not clear who those prospects could be, it is likely to include some of the top names in this year’s draft. The NFL recently announced a bubble environment for the Combine but the last-second decision has angered agents and trainers who feel the players they represent won’t be able to put on their best at Indy.
Equally frustrating that we just watched a month of playoffs with no testing/COVID concerns, a Super Bowl with 70,000 unmasked people, but the Combine is when they want to draw the line, resulting in the process becoming more difficult for players who are trying to earn a job. https://t.co/6Jbg4Dxytv
— Molly McManimie (@MolllyMack) February 19, 2022
This is like telling a team that they have to play a game without their coaching staff. If you want players to test, you have to give them access to the training staff that’s been prepping them. Be ready for a lot of top prospects to wait until pro day to test. https://t.co/tzuQaKclgH
— Steve Caric (@Caricsportsmgt) February 19, 2022
Most agents/trainers/media book their travel to the NFL Combine several months in advance. Officially finding out players will be bubbled just 13 days before we arrive, is frustrating, to say the least. These are decisions that should have been announced months ago.
— Nicole Lynn (@AgentNicoleLynn) February 19, 2022
The NFL announced they would slightly ease restrictions to allow one or two trainers into the bubble with the prospect. But agents are looking for a more open environment for their clients.
This year, there were 324 prospects invited to the NFL Combine, meaning roughly half of them could opt out of most of the week’s events.
The Combine has become a marquee offseason even for the NFL as part of the league’s endless draft cycle. The event was not held last year due to COVID and unless the league gives into these demands, the Combine may look pretty sparse this time around. This year’s Combine is slated to take place March 1st through the 7th.
