Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Apprehension as Fins’ facility opens
Some training facilities have opened with restrictions, but Dolphins’ remains closed
While several NFL teams around the country began to softly open their practice facilities with attendance restrictions this week, the Miami Dolphins’ Davie facility remains closed, according to team officials.
When it does open again, at least one Dolphins player shared some apprehension about eventually returning to work.
Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux is optimistic the NFL will have guidelines in place to play the 2020 season. As far as returning to the practice facility and participating in voluntary offseason training activities, however, Godchaux expressed some doubts, which were also echoed by the president of the NFL Players Association this week.
“I’ll feel safe playing if there’s something that can help this coronavirus,” Godchaux told the South Florida Sun Sentinel in an interview which also highlighted his charity work last week.
“But I wouldn’t feel safe right now. If you say, ‘Tomorrow we’re going to OTAs,’ I wouldn’t feel 100% safe.
“I’m home. I’m active. I’ve got a good immune system. I take that into mind, but I wouldn’t feel 100% safe.”
The Dolphins have not yet announced when they will reopen their facility. The Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts were among the few teams to reopen Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gave teams the OK to reopen this week, allowing a limited number of team personnel members and only players recovering from injuries while observing state guidelines, social distancing and other coronavirus safeguards.
Coaches and most players are not permitted to return yet and will continue holding team meetings in virtual settings — like the Dolphins will continue to do in the interim.
Goodell said players and coaches could return “in a relatively short time” after this first phase of opening takes place.
Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter, who became NFLPA president earlier this year, also expressed concerns on behalf of the players.
He said “there’s a long list of hurdles” that must be met before players can comfortably return to their practice facility before they can even take the field to play in games.
“This is a contact disease, and we play a contact sport,” Tretter said during a video conference with Browns media members.
“You can’t expect [to] just to throw football back in and think that the virus is going to kneel down to almighty football. You have to look through different ways of making sure people stay healthy.”
One thing the NFL has going for itself, unlike other sports leagues, is its start date.
Unlike the NBA and NHL, which have yet to resume play since shutting down in March, and Major League Baseball, which has postponed opening its season, the NFL preseason is scheduled to begin in August. The regular-season opening is slated for the second week of September.
Along with ensuring adequate testing measures are in place, the NFL must also find ways to address other obstacles such as players sharing close, communal spaces — locker rooms, restrooms and showers, for example — at their practice facilities and stadium. Other common gestures such as sharing a high-five or even spitting on the field could be regulated for player safety as well.
NFLPA medical director Thom Mayer told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on a podcast that the league is partnering with Oakley to test prototypes of modified face masks that might contain surgical or N95 material.
Even with precautions in place, Godchaux says players’ concerns also reach life outside of football.
NFL players face similar risks as their fans, whether its shopping for groceries or venturing out to reopened businesses across the country.
Some players have wives, children or older members of their family with whom they live. Some players, even if they social distance to an extent, could also choose to spend time with friends or other people with whom they share close bonds.
The same notions also apply to team personnel members, facility workers and even people entering facilities to deliver goods or supplies.
“My thing is you can’t control what people do after they leave the building,” Godchaux said. “All it takes is one person to get it, and they shut everything down.
“Nobody wants to lose money and nobody wants to get sued, so all it takes is one person to get it. We’ll see. I’m sure there are football players out there right now with coronavirus.”
At least four NFL figures shared they contracted the illness earlier this year.
New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton became the first in the NFL to share his diagnosis publicly March 19. He told ESPN he tested negative one week later.
Standout Denver Broncos defender Von Miller is the most popular player to share that he contracted the virus. He announced his positive test April 16 and said he tested negative April 30.
Los Angeles Rams center Brian Allen became the first player to announce he tested positive for COVID-19 when he told Fox Sports on April 15 and is recovering. But no formal announcement by Allen or the team following the diagnosis have been made.
Washington Redskins rookie receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden became the fourth figure, announcing Tuesday he tested positive March 24 and recovered from the virus April 7.
Tretter, who has been participating in biweekly conference calls to address players’ concerns, was timid about quantifying his optimism for this upcoming NFL season.
“Our priority is always going to be the health and safety of the players, and usually when you say that, you mean things that happen on the field,” Tretter said. “Obviously, it kind of takes a new meaning with everything going on now.”
Godchaux shared more optimism and excitement to play alongside many new Dolphins players — even if the games are played without fans in attendance.
Godchaux has social distanced, says he is in the best shape of his life after taking up cycling this offseason and hopes his teammates can find the same life balance at home with hopes to fulfill higher expectations this upcoming season.
“The team just wants everybody to stay safe,” Godchaux said.
“If we do that, we come back in shape and everybody comes back on the same page, it’s sky’s the limit.”