NFL players’ union wants to move interviews outside locker room

The NFL Players Association on Friday said many of its members want to move media interviews during the week outside the locker room.

“Players feel that locker room interviews invade their privacy and are uncomfortable. This isn’t about limiting media access but about respecting players’ privacy and dignity. The NFL’s current media policy is outdated. … In the meantime, we encourage each player to ask for interviews outside the locker room during the week,” the NFLPA said in a statement.

Incidents, where some appeared on camera naked, led players and the union to speak out.

“What we want to do is get cameras off guys in private moments in our locker rooms,” Cincinnati Bengals center Ted Karras, a union representative, told reporters this week. “I think what brought it to light was a couple guys naked on camera this year. I know that’s happened a few times throughout the history of the league.”

Under the existing NFL media access policy, players or their teams can request that interviews be conducted outside the locker room during the practice week but must let media members enter the locker room to ask for those interviews.

The response from reporters has been mixed.

“How about when all players and teams start following the media policy and we’re not all standing around empty locker rooms — especially after losses — then maybe we all can have a meaningful dialogue about the policy?” Fox Sports NFL reporter Ralph Vacchiano posted on X.

Others were OK with doing interviews in hallways.

“I hated doing interviews in the locker room. Hated it. The problem is you need the access to have the side chats and conversations to do the job. Maintaining access but moving cameras and on-air interviews into a hallway is a perfectly fair solution IMO,” Craig Hoffman, a host with Washington radio station WTEM, said on X.