Raiders’ Casey Hayward takes issue with NFLPA president’s involvement in scheduling matchup
The NFL initially said a team that couldn't take the field because of COVID would forfeit the game
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The NFL announced on Friday there would be a few schedule changes to Week 15’s matchups due to COVID-depleted rosters, starting with Saturday’s game as the Las Vegas Raiders were slated to travel to face the Cleveland Browns.
While the Saturday game has been moved to Monday, some members of the Raiders took to social media to share their thoughts.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ARLINGTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 25: Casey Hayward Jr. #29 of the Las Vegas Raiders reacts to a call at field judge Tom Hill #97 during the fourth quarter of the NFL game between Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 25, 2021 in Arlington, Texas (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Raiders cornerback Casey Hayward sarcastically pointed out that Cleveland Browns center J.C. Tretter, who also serves as the NFLPA president, lobbying to give teams more time to prepare due to the COVID outbreaks "didn’t have any effect."
"I’m sure the [NFLPA] president playing for the Browns didn’t have any effect on these negotiations," Hayward wrote.
Hours later, Hayward said he was "still hot about the game being moved" and wish the Browns players well.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Raiders linebacker K.J. Wright also tweeted that he thought something fishy was going on saying, "We agreed that their wouldn’t be any postponed game this season right?!"
Wright wrote that he believes if the roles were reversed, his team would be playing still with no postponements.
As of Friday afternoon, Cleveland has 24 players on their reserve/COVID-19 list including quarterback Baker Mayfield, wide receiver Jarvis Landry, offensive guard Wyatt Teller, tight end Austin Hooper and left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 29, 2019: Wide receiver Jarvis Landry #80 of the Cleveland Browns signals touchdown toward an official, after a 20-yard touchdown by wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. #13 in the fourth quarter of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 29, 2019 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati won 33-23. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski also tested positive, and the team has been in enhanced COVID mitigation protocols since earlier in the week.
Despite the NFL telling teams before the season that it would not move games this season due to COVID-19 outbreaks — teams would instead forfeit — the league moved multiple Week 15 contests. So the Raiders and Browns weren’t the only teams to see their schedule change.
The Washington Football Team and Philadelphia Eagles game, along with the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams game scheduled for Sunday have also been moved — both will be played on Tuesday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The league said in a statement it continues to make decisions with medical experts to ensure the health and safety of the NFL community.
FILE - In this Dec. 8, 2019, file photo, Cleveland Browns center and NFLPA president JC Tretter walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard, File)
"We have made these schedule changes based on medical advice and after discussion with the NFLPA as we are seeing a new, highly transmissible form of the virus this week resulting in a substantial increase in cases across the league," the NFL said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to all 32 teams explaining Friday’s changes to the schedule and said, "The emergence of the Omicron variant is precisely the kind of change that warrants a flexible response."