NFL avoids prospects skipping the Scouting Combine by “unbubbling” players

The NFL looks to have avoided a major issue with the NFL Scouting Combine.

The 2022 NFL Scouting Combine is slated to start on March 1st and last through March 7th. This is the first time the combine has been scheduled since before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the event in 2020.

With the NFL trying to make the event as safe as possible, they also caused themselves a good bit of strife when they announced they were planning on putting prospects in “bubbles” for the duration of their stay in Indianapolis.

The agents of these prospective players were not happy with this decision, considering they wouldn’t be able to have their trainers and other personnel with them to help them in what might be the biggest try out of their lives.

This was sourced information via Adam Schefter of ESPN:

The NFL understood the idea of prospects not attending the event, one which is heavily televised and discussed, would be a huge detriment to their brand. While prospects never said they would boycott the event, there was talk of them showing up and doing nothing more than their medical evaluation and meetings before leaving Indianapolis. Instead, they would save all their workouts for their school’s individual Pro Day workout.

It should come as a shock to no one that on Monday the NFL decided to “unbubble” the prospects. The memo below was sent out to the NIC (National Invitational Combine) and obtained by Schefter.

There are those who want to bash the NFL for anything they do which some might view as frivolous; however, the league was simply trying to be as safe as possible for these prospects. With that said, you can’t blame the agents and prospects who watched the NFL Playoffs, and those in attendance, and wonder why these players who train together can’t co-mingle at their own risk in Indianapolis.

That is exactly what the league is planning on now, and it will be interesting to see if it impacts the combine in any way in a week’s time. In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news on the Pittsburgh Steelers as they prepare for the new league year and the 2022 NFL Draft.