Players who have tested positive will have a hard…

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Tuesday’s news that the NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to adopt the CDC’s adjustment of the isolation period from 10 days to five, if asymptomatic, was met with a wave of cynicism over the fact that players who have tested positive will claim that they no longer have symptoms.

Amazingly, that same notion barely gained any traction when, fewer than two weeks ago, the NFL and NFLPA agreed to dramatically overhaul the testing protocol, with the new approach hinging on players who previously hadn’t generated a positive result self-reporting symptoms. Here’s the simple truth — it would be, and surely still is, far easier for players who haven’t tested positive to hide their symptoms than it is for those who have generated a positive result.

Many COVID symptoms can’t easily be hidden. Congestion. Coughing. Runny nose. Lethargy. Fever. These teams all have medical professionals who know how to spot the COVID symptoms. Those who have tested positive and who hope to return after only five days will surely be subject to a much more rigorous process than being asked, “Do you have symptoms?”

While it’s always good for the media to express skepticism, the skepticism associated with the COVID protocols is misplaced. It’s not about hiding symptoms five days after a diagnosis. It’s about hiding symptoms before a diagnosis. Because even though the NFL is touting the idea that players, coaches, and staff are raising their hands and self-disclosing symptoms, surely there are players, coaches, and staff who are downplaying their symptoms, to themselves and/or to others.

So, basically, it makes sense to be less worried about players hiding symptoms five days after a positive test and more worried about players hiding symptoms before they’ve ever tested positive.