Nearly two years to the day after it began, the COVID-19 pandemic ended. At least as far as the NFL is concerned.
On Thursday, the NFL circulated a memo announced it is suspending all pandemic-related protocols.
"Based on encouraging trends regarding the prevalence and severity of COVID-19, the evolving guidance of the CDC, changes to state law and the counsel of our respective experts, the NFL and NFLPA have agreed to suspend all aspects of the joint COVID-19 Protocols, effective immediately."
The NFL didn't promise to never reimplement the protocols should the need arise, and it noted that all 32 teams must still abide by state and local laws (California drops its indoor mask mandate in public schools on March 12), and it didn't forbid teams from continuing to keep up the protocols on its own... but it did say any team doing so would now foot that bill themselves.
In the meantime, mandatory testing surveillance is now gone, regardless of vaccination status. Players and staff are no longer requires to wear masks inside team facilities, regardless of vaccination status. Occupancy limits in weight rooms and dining halls are now gone. Signage can now be taken down.
Those who test positive must still isolate for five days, but reporting of symptoms now essentially starts with the honor system.
If this is truly the end of the pandemic within the NFL, the league managed to play all 554 scheduled games across the regular and postseasons in 2020 and '21.
And here's hoping this truly is the end.