The novel coronavirus has hit the city of New Orleans hard, affecting Saints coach Sean Payton in particular. While he overcame his experience with COVID-19, Payton has used his experience to raise awareness of the coronavirus to try and help and educate others. He’s also used it to inform his own decision-making as the leader of his football team.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported that Payton held a team-wide teleconference call over Zoom, breaking the news to his players that the Saints would not be organizing an offseason program ahead of training camp. Payton clarified that the Saints would not host any activities at the team facility even if NFL rules allow it, out of an abundance of caution.
Russini added that Payton told his team to take care of themselves and their families during this pandemic, and that the Saints would not organize any virtual meetings or workouts; his instructions ended with orders to, “Show up in July for training camp in the best shape of your life.”
It’s a bold move, to say the least. Travel restrictions and social distancing recommendations have tested the NFL and its teams already this offseason, but Payton is going an extra mile to make sure his people are safe. Still, he did take a moment to make light of the situation on Twitter, joking that having 80-plus people staring at him from his computer screen felt like a lineup of the characters killed off in “Game of Thrones” — spoilers beware:
@Webex team meeting today kinda felt like… pic.twitter.com/G5VopS96zE
— Sean Payton (@SeanPayton) April 22, 2020
We’ll see what happens in a few months, but it’s worth noting that things might not go as planned just because Payton has told his team to stay away from the facility. The NFL has stepped in to scuttle his plans before, forcing his staff to work from home rather than from a spacious warehouse.
And Saints quarterback Drew Brees led the charge with player-organized workouts back in 2011 due to the NFL lockout, though obviously the circumstances were much different then. He’s often joined by teammates at his home in San Diego for offseason training, and we shouldn’t be shocked if familiar faces turn up on the West Coast looking to get some work in. Though maybe they should follow Payton’s lead and stay home instead.
Whatever the case, it’s a shame that many Saints fans won’t get the opportunity to see their team up close at the early-summer minicamps that lead into training camp. But if missing out on that chance prevents further infections and saves lives, it’ll be well worth the inconvenience.
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