Keeping the virus at bay now more of a challenge for players
Less than 1 percent of NFL players have tested positive for COVID-19, a success rate largely due to the daily testing the owners balked at while negotiating a training camp agreement with the players.
Daily testing was only supposed to be mandatory for the first two weeks of training camp. Every-other-day testing was to be considered if the positive tests were below 5 percent.
It took a while but the NFL finally agreed with the NFL Players Association that daily testing worked, the sides quietly extending the accord for the foreseeable future.
Daily testing provides results in a 24-hour window, minimizes false negative tests and
Sunday:
At Washington 1 p.m., Fox
Tuesday:
Vs.
Boston (DH) 4:05, NBCSP
Saturday:
Vs.
New England 7:30, PHL17 in the age of the pandemic, indirectly reminds players how important it is to keep doing the things that kept them COVID-free.
At this point it’s been relatively easy for players to avoid infection because the Eagles and their NFL counterparts have constructed their own bubbles. Most of the players have stayed in the team hotels and away from people who aren’t tested daily in the outside world.
The true test is dead ahead. Instead of roughly 100 Eagles players and staff being around each other, they’ll start keeping company with spouses, family and friends outside the NovaCare bubble. Even on a limited basis that group of 100 or so will be around close to 400 more people who won’t be tested daily, if at all.
Mixing with people outside the bubble obviously increases the odds
ofa virus. It’s not so much how the Eagles safeguard themselves now but how they keep doing it once the games start.
“There’s a lot of unknown involved on both ends of that,” Carson Wentz said. “No one knew in the summer if we’d be at this point and here we are, six days away from Game 1. Guys are excited that we’re playing. But as far as to maintain this level of safety it’s going to take commitment from all the players. Following the protocols in the building, being smart out of the building, doing what you need to take care of yourself and also the team.
“You can’t reduce it completely. … There’s still risk in every-day things you do. But we can mitigate it.”
Once the games begin, it’s almost certain there will be a bump in coronavirus cases. Family, friends and fans at some venues all are capable of spreading the virus.
It’s not easy being a pro football player in a pandemic. Even the most innocent outing can show up in the form of a positive test triggering alarms.
While veterans like Wentz and Brandon Graham applaud the discipline of their Eagles teammates, continued compliance should be read like a SEPTA timetable – subject to change.
After a month of camp with strict COVID protocol, limited, if any interaction with family and friends and a job won, there must be a desire to be naughty, right?
“I think we have to continue to make the right choices off the field,” Graham said. “On the field, in the building, I feel safe in here. Everybody knows what we have to do. They’ve got all the precautions we need in the building. It’s just off the field when we’re winning games, people want to celebrate and be with other people sometimes. And we’ve got to sacrifice right now. We can’t do a lot of things we normally would do just hanging out from the casinos to the restaurants, we’ve got to just stop. You’ve got to go pick up your food if you’re getting food and go. No sitting in. You’ve got to be accountable during this time.”
The protocol for teams on road trips is restrictive. There are severe limits on the size of traveling parties for visiting teams, and limited locker room access.
The traveling party isn’t permitted to “congregate” with individuals outside the group after checking into the hotel for games.
Players not involved in the game are encouraged to wear masks. Masks are mandatory for those not actually in the game for teams visiting Buffalo and San Francisco. There’s also daily coronavirus testing - the day before games, and after games.
Home or away, players will be exposed to the virus much more often than they were in the training camp bubble.
Graham has his fingers crossed the players will continue to hold themselves accountable.
“I think we’ve got a good group of guys on this team that really wants this season to go,” Graham said. “So far, so good.”
Football, the people in the industry like to say, is the ultimate team sport.
Staying safe in the coming weeks is going to take a total team effort.
Anything less and the wheels are going to come off in front of a nation that can’t seem to get ahead of the virus.