NFL updates its COVID-19 protocols for Thanksgiving and will require ALL players to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status after Packers' Aaron Rodgers and Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger tested positive

• The NFL is updating its COVID-19 protocols ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday
• The league is requiring players and staff to wear masks inside team facilities regardless of vaccination status for a week starting on Thanksgiving
• Also, players must be tested twice for COVID-19 after next week's holiday
• Additional masking will not be required outdoors or in the practice bubble
• Testing will take place on Monday November 29 and Wednesday December 1 
• Several prominent players missed recent games due to COVID-19 infections, including the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger and the Packers' Aaron Rodgers 
• The NHL postponed three Ottawa Senators games due to a COVID-19 outbreak -  the first time any major North American pro sports league has done so this fall

The NFL is requiring players and staff to wear masks inside team facilities regardless of vaccination status for a week starting on Thanksgiving, and they must be tested twice for COVID-19 after the holiday.

The league's protocols were updated as a result of increasing rates of COVID-19 across the country. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger each missed a game in consecutive weeks because of COVID-19. Rodgers returned to action in Sunday's win over Seattle. 

'This upward trend, coupled with the onset of colder weather driving individuals indoors, has resulted in an increased risk of infection among players and staff,' the league said in a memo sent to teams Tuesday and obtained by DailyMail.com. 'Our experts and data confirm that getting vaccinated remains our strongest defense against contracting and transmission of the virus within club facilities.'

Additional masking will not be required outdoors or in the practice bubble. Testing will take place on Monday November 29 and Wednesday December 1.

Also, the league is encouraging teams to offer drive-through COVID-19 testing for friends and family of players and staff if they're visiting or staying with them for Thanksgiving. 

The testing should be conducted before friends and family interact with players and staff, and should be arranged at times separate from when players and staff are testing.

Teams were reminded to strictly enforce protocols at their facilities. The NFL is offering to send league staff to assist with the enforcement of the protocols at club facilities.

Last week, the NFL fined the Packers $300,000 and issued $14,650 fines to Rodgers and wide receiver Allen Lazard for violations of league and players' union protocols.

Controversy over Rodgers's vaccination status erupted earlier this month when he tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to enter a 10-day quarantine — the minimum amount of time an unvaccinated player is asked to quarantine, per NFL rules. 

The revelation that he's unvaccinated came as a surprise to many because Rodgers appeared to indicate in August that he had received the injection. 

When asked by reporters at training camp if he was vaccinated, Rodgers said, 'yeah, I've been immunized,' but did not explain at the time that he was referring to a therapeutic treatment prescribed by his doctors and not any COVID-19 vaccine.

He clarified his statement on the Pat McAfee Show on November 5, explaining that he's allergic to an ingredient in the vaccine and also had concerns about potentially becoming a parent after getting the injection. Rodgers also blamed the confusion for his vaccination status on reporters for failing to ask any follow-up questions in August. 

However, in another interview with McAfee on November 9, Rodgers admitted to misleading the public and apologized 'to anybody who felt misled.' 

The NHL is already enduring its own seasonal COVID spike. 

The league postponed three Ottawa Senators games on Monday amid a COVID-19 outbreak on the team, the first time any North American major professional sports league has been hit by rescheduling this fall because of the coronavirus.

Infected players include goalie Matt Murray, centers Drake Batherson and Josh Norris, and defenseman Nikita Zaitsev.  

Games scheduled for Tuesday at New Jersey, at home Thursday against Nashville and at home Saturday against the New York Rangers were postponed. Ten Senators players are currently in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol.

While Ottawa played shorthanded Sunday in a 4-0 loss to Calgary, the depth of the outbreak led to the decision to postpone games, which the league said was made in light of evidence of continued spread in recent days. The Senators are shut down through at least Saturday, with their training facilities closed to players until then as a precaution.

'The Senators organization has, and will continue to follow, all recommended guidelines aimed at protecting the health and safety of its players, staff and community at large as set by the NHL, local, provincial and national agencies,' the league said in a statement.

Neither the NFL nor the NBA has had to postpone a game so far this fall. Major League Baseball had nine virus-related postponements among 2,430 scheduled games, down from 45 in last year's shortened 900-game schedule.

The NHL postponed 51 games for virus reasons during its last regular season.

The league and Players' Association have until January 10 to withdraw from the 2022 Winter Olympics if pandemic circumstances force the cancellation of so many games that a nearly three-week break in February is not feasible. The NHL was still looking at when to reschedule the Senators' games against the Devils, Predators and Rangers.

Ottawa canceled practice Monday to try and contain the outbreak, after forward Drake Batherson became the most recent Senators player to go into protocol. Besides the 10 players, associate coach Jack Capuano also is in protocol.

'The health and safety of the local community, the venue's patrons and the organization's staff and players is Senators Sports & Entertainment's highest priority,' the team said.

A handful of other NHL teams have been hit by COVID-19 this season, including Pittsburgh and San Jose. Penguins star Sidney Crosby returned Sunday after an absence of more than 10 days because of the virus. Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon also missed time last month after testing positive, though he was asymptomatic.