The New England Patriots are one of just a handful of NFL teams that have not placed a single player on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Bill Belichick said that “absolutely” is a testament to how seriously his team is taking this pandemic.
“I think that the team and the organization have addressed this very professionally, strictly, and we’ve changed quite a bit as more information or different techniques or products or whatever have become available or our information has changed,” the Patriots coach said in a video conference before Monday’s training camp practice.
Input from players, Belichick said, has helped mold the Patriots’ ever-evolving coronavirus protocols. Since returning to Gillette Stadium earlier this month, several players have praised the team’s handling of the virus.
“We’ve been very fluid with this, the players have done a great job of following protocols, and we’ve also had a lot of great feedback from the players on things, suggestions,” Belichick said. “Because seeing it from an organizational point of view or a coach’s point of view is one thing, but when you’re a player, you see what you do on a daily basis maybe a little bit differently, and so their feedback has been great and we’ve made quite a few or I’d say several modifications to our protocols and programs because of them or suggestions that they’ve made or concerns that they’ve raised.
“So I think we’re working together, but we’ve got a long way to go.”
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Belichick knows NFL teams will face additional hurdles once the constant grind of training camp ceases and travel resumes. With the preseason canceled, the Patriots’ first road game will be a Week 2 matchup in Seattle on Sept. 20. New England is scheduled to host the Miami Dolphins in its season opener Sept. 13.
“It’s constantly evolving, and I’m sure that we’ll have a lot more discussions and situations that we’re going to have to deal with going forward when we get into things like traveling and things like that,” Belichick said. “So we’re not there yet. We’ve got a full plate right now, but eventually, we’re going to have to deal with other factors, as well.”
During camp, some Patriots players have experimented with Oakley Mouth Shields, a clear plastic facemask attachment that aims to limit the transfer of droplets from player to player in close-contact situations. Belichick said the Patriots began researching on-field face shield solutions in May, two months before Oakley debuted its product, which was developed in collaboration with the NFL and NFLPA.
“It’s an optional piece of equipment,” Belichick said. “All of the players are aware of it. All of the players have been given the opportunity to work with it during those first nine days of Phase One or eight days of Phase One, and then in Phase Two, so the last four practices. Guys have experimented with it, and we’ll see what ultimately their decision is. It’s an individual decision.”
Players are placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list if they test positive for the virus or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive. The only teams that have yet to move a player to that list are the Patriots, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers.
