It’s Thanksgiving Day throughout the United States however for the Denver Broncos, it is a workday. With the 8-2 New Orleans Saints coming to city this Sunday, Vic Fangio and firm must hold their give attention to the matchup.
On Thursday, as Fangio unveiled the apply report for the day, a brand new identify appeared as a non-participant — quarterback Jeff Driskel. The veteran signal-caller has been positioned in COVID-19 protocol and can self-isolate.
The subsequent query was, does Driskel’s standing put another participant, particularly, another quarterbacks, in danger for the COVID-19 listing?
“No, [we’ve] been engaged on this—‘Greek’ (Director of Sports Medicine Steve Antonopulos) and our folks right here together with [NFL Chief Medical Officer] Dr. [Allen] Sills and different folks in the league since about four a.m. this morning,” Fangio stated by way of Zoom. “They have decided that no one else has to go on the listing. They cleared us to apply.”
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Based on contact-tracing, the Broncos have been assured that Drew Lock, Brett Rypien, and Blake Bortles are good to go and proceed their preparation for Week 12’s bout with the Saints.
“No, the opposite quarterbacks had been solely on there minimal quantities, like two minutes and a few seconds—4 minutes,” Fangio defined. “That’s over a 3 or four-day interval. They completely checked these guys that had been on the 2 minutes, three minutes, 4 minutes, they usually got here again and stated no one else must go on the listing they usually cleared us to have regular actions and regular apply at the moment.”
The Broncos have maintained an intensive protocol with regard to the virus, with gamers, coaches, and staffers required to masks up in the constructing, in addition to sustaining social distance amongst different precautions. Even on the apply discipline, the workforce does its greatest to mitigate player-on-player contact wherever potential.
9NEWS‘ Mike Klis reported additional particulars on Driskel’s situation and outcomes of the workforce’s contact tracing.
Driskel has no signs, feels fully wholesome and was stunned to be positioned on the COVID listing, a supply instructed 9NEWS.
It was decided Driskel didn’t have any contact tracing considerations with the workforce’s different quarterbacks and the Broncos had been cleared to apply Thursday in preparation of their sport Sunday afternoon towards the New Orleans Saints.
The Broncos have been touched by the Corona Virus however for essentially the most half, the workforce has achieved a wonderful job collectively to maintain the bug out of the constructing. Shelby Harris has missed the final three video games after contracting the virus, whereas coaches like Ed Donatell,, Mike Munchak and Curtis Modkins have additionally.
Donatell continues to be recovering from his scary bout with the virus, which landed him in the hospital on a short-term keep. The defensive coordinator has since been discharged and is on the mend, however the bug has additionally touched the chief department of the workforce, together with GM John Elway and CEO Joe Ellis.
However, the Broncos have managed to stave off a bona-fide outbreak throughout the locker room, which is an achievement and a testomony to the collective effort of all of the gamers, coaches, and staffers to be conscientious and cautious in their publicity to folks exterior the constructing. Fangio credited Greek, V.P. of Human Resources Nancy Svoboda, and V.P. of Operations and Compliance Mark Thewes for the workforce’s execution of the COVID-19 protocols and safeguards whereas recognizing how selfless and disciplined the gamers have been.
“I believe we as coaches have achieved an honest job of implementing it and making our gamers conscious of it, however finally, 90 p.c of the credit score must go to the gamers as a result of we have had minimal instances of it,” Fangio stated. “And knock on wooden—,hopefully that may proceed, however we all know that it may occur at any time with anyone. Our gamers have achieved an important job for essentially the most a part of attempting to do the suitable factor because it pertains to COVID and up thus far they deserve all of the credit score.”
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
