The coronavirus pandemic has made it a little hard for sports to resume normal activities. However, the NFL is as close as it seems to get in the world of sports when it comes to keeping things as business as usual as possible. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson has a plan for training camp that also will try to resemble something approximating “normal”:
“[W]e are going to keep everybody together, but we just might have to use the stadium and transition over there [the team facility] from time to time … And these are all things that we are looking at. But we are going to keep everybody together. We’re going to socially distance when we are inside the buildings. We’re going to wear masks. We’re going to do all the protocols that we’ve been asked to do and we’re going to make that work.”
Pederson also commented on the possibility of keeping an Eagles quarterback or other players in quarantine in case they are needed to replace another player who falls ill. This is something Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians also has considered. Said Pederson:
“Obviously there are a lot of ways to go about things, and that’s one way to do it … If you do it with the quarterback position, do you do it with a receiver, do you do it with a defensive back, something like that? But these are all things that right now, between now and the time we play are really — or I should say the time we get back to training camp, are the scenarios that we need to as a staff think through and the possibilities. But that is definitely something to consider as you move forward to protect the quarterback position, but at the same time you have to think about the entire roster, as well. A lot of different scenarios and a lot of possibilities we’ll think about here in the next few weeks.”
So there will be social distancing and mask wearing while inside. Obviously, that will be a little harder during actual drills and workouts.
Pederson says the Eagles will be following protocol. He's also considering all options when it comes to protecting certain positions.
Obviously, not everyone has to work out together. So there could be times where the Eagles keep players apart on occasion. That could keep everyone safe if the players are only in contact with a select few players and coaches, such as those at their positions.
Pederson does seem to have a plan in place for the Eagles. That is good news as teams creep closer to training camps. It is important for the teams to be able to get back into a rhythm without risking their health. It looks like Philadelphia has it figured out, for the most part.
Follow Us
Subscribe