Earlier this year, during a meeting of the Pro Football Writers of America in Indianapolis, the organization’s president, Calvin Watkins, told members that NFL players wanted to close team locker rooms to the media.

Watkins, the league, and the NFL Players Association had been discussing the matter for some time and, so far, the outcome was that nothing would change.

Well, something is now changing.

No More Locker Room Interviews

On Thursday, some individual players and at least one club — the Cincinnati Bengals — announced they would not be doing interviews in their locker room going forward.

“As you’ve heard from a couple of teams now and the NFLPA is going to come out with a statement, in an effort to protect the sanctity of the locker room and the comfort of the players, each team is going to figure out a program to where we conduct our interviews outside of the locker room,” said Bengals center, Ted Karras, the team’s union representative.

“Now, this doesn’t bar you from the locker room. We can’t do that. But what we want to do is get cameras off guys in private moments in our locker room.”

With the exception of game days, the players will be using a portion of the current NFL media access policy and enforcing it where it was seldom if ever enforced before.

The policy reads:

“… Each club will make players available during the normal practice week (based on a Sunday game) on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to accredited media for player interviews. 

“This includes mandatory open locker room sessions for a minimum of 45 minutes on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. On Monday, player availability may occur in an open locker room format, in an interview room or other location, or virtually, but players must be available.”

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 11: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates in the locker room after winning Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)

Players Use Policy To Their Advantage

And here’s the seldom used portion that apparently will be used more by several teams and many players:

“The actual open locker room interviews may be conducted outside the locker room at the club’s or player’s request, but the media must be allowed to make the interview request in person to the player in the locker room.”

The NFL’s media policy has been in place for decades, although it gets updated regularly, with the last update coming in 2023.

But what has caused the change in how players view this policy has come in recent years when electronic media captured interviews on camera, and sometimes caught players in compromising states of undress.

CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 23: Ted Karras #64 of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on from the sideline prior to an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders at Paycor Stadium on September 23, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

‘Guys Naked On Camera’

“What brought it to light, really, was a couple of guys naked on camera this year,” Karras said. “It has happened a few times in the history of the league.”

Karras called this a “solidarity issue for the NFLPA.”

The statement from the players’ union he said, was forthcoming.  It was not made on Thursday but could come before too long.

The Pro Football Writers Association provided OutKick a statement Thursday evening in response to what players intend to do:

“The PFWA is aware of actions taken by some in this matter. The NFL media policy governs access and interaction between media and clubs to serve the public’s interest. The league policy spells out the regulations of that access, and the PFWA helps ensure that those are followed by the clubs.”

Foxborough, MA – October 2: New England Patriots DT Davon Godchaux talks with the media before practice. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Fans Unlikely To Support Media

This is a losing issue for the media. They would argue less access will undeniably mean less information. Less content.

Fans will get less.

But, you see, fans are for the players. Not the media.

And, of course, it is impossible to argue against men not wanting to be naked in front of cameras. It is actually admirable that these men with highly trained bodies don’t want to be seen nude publicly.

By the way, these embarrassing moments are everyone’s mistake – including the NFL clubs.

The NFL media policy states that “providing for player privacy is of paramount importance.

“If the locker room is open to the media immediately following practice, the club must screen the shower area from view and distribute appropriate clothing, e.g. wrap-around towels or robes, for player privacy. 

“Prior to the locker room opening to media, a member of the club communications staff will walk through the locker room, directly notifying players and coaches that the locker room is about to open to accredited media for player interviews.”

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – JUNE 13: General Manager Brandon Beane of the Buffalo Bills speaks with media after Buffalo Bills mandatory mini camp on June 13, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images)

Cameras And Camera Phones Culprits

None of this was a problem years ago. Once upon a time, only print reporters were allowed to do locker room interviews. They didn’t have TV cameras or camera phones.

Electronic media would also cover the league, but outlets would send reporters who would ask players to come outside the locker room to do television interviews. That ended in the mid 1990s and that is when naked NFL players started to occasionally appear on TV.

No one, by the way, is going back to a time when print reporters had the most access because it’s mostly television that pays rights fees to the league.

So here we are.

“I know this is an inconvenience to you,” Karras told reporters, “but, again, with the recent incidences in the league and what our membership wants, we’re implementing this.”