No Panthers again on reserve/COVID-19 list, per the NFL transaction wire, as veterans entered the facility for the first time today. Means the team got through the initial testing.
— Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) August 1, 2020
The Carolina Panthers have not had any players test positive for COVID-19 as of yet, according to a report by the Charlotte Observer.
Players must test negative three times in four days before beginning the 2020 training camp program. Next up on the schedule, teams begin the acclimatization period, which runs from Aug. 3-11. During this time, workouts are limited to 60 minutes in the weight room and 60 minutes of on-field conditioning. Walk-through practices are permitted, as well.
While having no tests is a good sign right now, there’s no guarantee an infection won’t break out. Major League Baseball is offering an example of how quickly things can go wrong, with outbreaks on several teams causing enough postponements to put the 2020 season in jeopardy after only a handful of games.
By contrast, the NBA’s bubble model seems to be working well so far, but it’s too early to tell if their plan is good enough to keep transmission rates low enough for their abbreviated season and playoffs to finish up.
At the very least, the NFL should be preparing a contingency plan to finish the 2020 season in a bubble in case they suffer the same problems as baseball.
So far, the Panthers have only had one player opt-out of the season: undrafted linebacker Jordan Mack. Dozens of players across the league have chosen to do so in recent days though, including former Panthers Star Lotulelei and Devin Funchess.
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