NFL teams taking extra precautions
Virtual meetings, isolating key players among tactics employed
NFL coaches are taking precautions beyond the league’s COVID-19 protocols to help ensure players are available for games.
Several teams are separating quarterbacks, holding virtual meetings and doing whatever it takes to avoid breakouts of the virus. Green Bay, Washington, Baltimore, Cleveland, Chicago and New Orleans have played without starting quarterbacks because of COVID-19. Other key players also have missed important games in recent weeks.
The league and the NFL Players Association revised protocols Tuesday, reducing isolation time for players who test positive for COVID-19 and are asymptomatic, including unvaccinated players, from 10 days to five.
The league also has implemented restrictions on players eating together, limited number of occupants in the weight room to 15 and is requiring masks be worn by all players and staff indoors at team facilities.
As teams fight for playoff berths and positioning, the virus forces them to tackle another opponent.
The San Francisco 49ers (8-7) were among the teams who chose to meet virtually Wednesday.
“People know what’s at stake with the chances of us losing guys for these games, so it wasn’t a hard issue at all going Zoom,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.
The Philadelphia Eagles (8-7) had
Vikings running back Dalvin Cook will be back this week after a five-day quarantine because of new protocols.
quarterbacks and specialists meet virtually, but other position groups met in person.
The league is encouraging even fully vaccinated staff and players to avoid public areas including restaurants, bars and social gatherings. It’s not a mandate, but it’s another extra step some team leaders will emphasize.
“I definitely think there’s a point where as a leader you want to try and keep things together as much as you can,” Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts said. “You understand you have a group full of grown men who make grown-men decisions, but I definitely encourage everybody to stay safe, be responsible and take precautions in this thing. You can live with it and be OK if you knew you took precaution and did everything you could.”
The Minnesota Vikings (7-8) got back running back Dalvin Cook from the COVID-19 list Wednesday after he missed a loss to the Rams.
“We’re staying 6 feet apart in larger meeting rooms and keeping our masks on,” said Cook, who is unvaccinated. “Staying away from each other, basically. Got to talk from a distance nowadays. Stuff like that. Doing the right stuff so our team is in the right position come these next two weeks.”
The Green Bay Packers (12-3) have 15 players on the reserve/covid-19 list, including punter Corey Bojorquez, tight end Marcedes Lewis and cornerback Kevin King.
“We’re pretty fortunate that we have a facility that can accommodate us just in terms of the space of making sure that everybody’s spread out,” Packers coach Matt Lafleur said. “I think our guys are doing a good job of wearing their masks. … We will do more virtual meetings post-practice, potentially. We’ve really kind of left it up to the position room in terms of how they’d like to do it.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians turned the team over to assistant Harold Goodwin after he tested positive Tuesday.
“I had to remind guys to spread out, just get away from each other, just because it’s a dangerous time right now, not only for us as players but for the nation, for the world for that part,” Goodwin said. “We’ve just got to be smart about it.”
The Tennessee Titans (10-5) protected practice squad QB Kevin Hogan but aren’t quarantining other quarterbacks. They have 11 players on the COVID-19 list.