NEW YORK — The NFL Players Association has proposed restrictions on interviews conducted in locker rooms, stating that these practices infringe on the privacy of players. They encourage media personnel to hold interviews in different locations during the week.

Media members often interact with players in locker rooms on game and practice days, as current media policies facilitated by the NFLPA are being termed as “outdated”.

The NFLPA issued a statement saying, “Players believe that locker room interviews are intrusive and make them feel uneasy. This isn’t about limiting media exposure, but about honoring the privacy and dignity of the players.”

“The NFLPA Executive Committee calls on the NFL to implement quick changes to ensure a more respectful and secure environment for all players.”

No immediate feedback was received from the NFL regarding this matter.

The Pro Football Writers of America responded with a statement asserting: “NFL players’ requests to be interviewed outside the locker room have always been part of the league’s guidelines for media access.”

“We are in ongoing discussions with NFLPA leaders about the media access policy,” the statement continued. “The aim is to make locker room situations comfortable for everyone, ensuring that players and teams adhere to the NFL media policy.”

NFLPA player representative Ted Karras, a center for the Cincinnati Bengals, mentioned to reporters that the unease players experience with locker room interviews has been a persistent concern.

This issue resurfaced recently after “a few players were caught on camera while undressed this season.”

Karras expressed a desire for each team to establish a procedure for conducting interviews outside the locker room on practice days throughout the week to “prevent cameras from capturing players in private situations.”

“This topic has been under discussion since COVID, particularly when locker rooms were off-limits. It has come up multiple times since then,” Karras noted. “Now feels like the right moment to address it.”