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The COVID-19 pandemic effectively canceled the 2021 NFL Scouting Combine.
Although the league is not using the word “canceled”, a memo sent to teams today says: “There will be no face-to-face training” and that, instead, players will be trained in their individual professional days on campuses.
The league is working with university programs to ensure consistency in Combine’s training so that teams have accurate data on players’ athletic ability.
The league is developing a plan to obtain comprehensive medical information about all candidates who would normally be invited to Indianapolis for Combine. This will include tests carried out at medical facilities close to the candidates’ homes, with some of them receiving face-to-face examinations, probably in April. Team interviews with potential customers will be conducted virtually, rather than in person.
Although the annual trip to Indianapolis has become an important part of the NFL’s off-season, it just wasn’t viable this year and therefore the Combine will not continue.