49ers players begin reporting for virus testing
The 49ers’ first step in an unprecedented journey, a trek that could be canceled if it becomes too treacherous, began Thursday: They welcomed the first players back to their Santa Clara facility during a global health crisis.
The 49ers’ quarterbacks, rookies and injured players returned and were tested for the coronavirus in an area of their executive parking lot that now includes a large trailer and at least six openair tents. They are scheduled to be joined by the rest of their teammates Tuesday, which is the official start of a training camp in which testing and quarantining will mark the first four days, the first padded practice might not be held until late August and there will be no preseason games.
During the pandemic, it qualifies as news that the 49ers can host camp at their facility. Sources said the 49ers officially received approval Wednesday from Santa Clara County, which, like so many areas across the nation, has had a surge in coronavirus cases this summer. The county granted approval after
reviewing the 49ers’ coronavirus protocols.
Many of those protocols were outlined by the NFL in June. They now will be put into practice as the league attempts to hold a season fraught with uncertainty.
Among the notable changes the 49ers will encounter: Everyone must wear a mask at the facility, unless they are alone in an office, and each player and coach will wear tracking devices when on the premises as part of the NFL’s testing policy. If someone tests positive, the devices can identify people with whom they have had close contact who might be at risk.
In the 49ers’ reconfigured locker room, every other locker is empty, every other shower head has been turned off and communal couches have been removed to maintain social distancing. In the training room, which is a common hangout spot, players can enter only if they have an appointment for treatment.
In the cafeteria, the tables and chairs have been removed and players and employees can eat outside or bring food back to their office. Items such as salads will be prepackaged and a Plexiglas barrier will separate employees from those serving food.
The fact that the team facility includes Levi’s Stadium, which has an abundance of spacious meeting rooms and club areas, will make it easier for the 49ers to follow safety guidelines. For example, with at least 80 players expected to be on their trainingcamp roster, they can use the visiting locker room and an auxiliary locker room to accommodate those who can’t fit in their main locker room.
However, the 49ers players won’t enter the locker room until at least five days after they report because of a recent agreement on testing between league and the NFL Players Association.
Players will be tested on the day they report, will quarantine for two days and have a second test on Day 4. If both tests are negative, they can enter the facility on Day 5 and then they will be tested daily for the first two weeks of training camp. After that, they will be tested every other day, if positive tests among the team are lower than 5%.
In a nod to the absence of offseason onfield work, meaning some players haven’t practiced since late December, there will be an extended acclimation period, which could include at least three weeks of strength and conditioning.
The length of the acclimation period is among the details on which the NFL and players’ union have yet to agree. The biggest unresolved issues involve money. The players, for example, reportedly want to receive their full salaries if the season is abbreviated or canceled. There is also disagreement on how to handle an anticipated steep decline in revenue this season as it relates to future salary caps.
On Thursday, the Washington Post reported owners might be willing to shut down training camps if they can’t agree on economics, meaning players would be sent home.
It’s a reminder that the first step a host of 49ers took Thursday is part of a journey whose path is impossible to predict.