As the NFL looks to align each one of their 32 franchises to best accommodate the players in a return to action ahead of training camp, certain restrictions have been put in place. One of the big hurdles for teams ahead of camp is that the league has mandated that all 32 teams secure an approved “Infectious Disease Emergency Response (IDER) Plan” in the event that the ongoing coronavirus springs into any one of the league facilities.
Until a team’s IDER Plan has been approved, teams are limited to only allowing a fraction of their team into the building at any one particular time. In the name of transparency, the NFL Player’s Association has been tracking which teams have submitted plans and which ones of those submissions have been approved.
The Miami Dolphins appear to be on top of their game — they’re one of just a few of the 32 submitted IDER Plans to have already been approved.
All 32 teams have submitted IDER plans–8 of them have been approved and the remaining plans are under review. pic.twitter.com/y8ej5VDZqH
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) July 22, 2020
As of noon yesterday, just a quarter of the league had an approved plan of action, including the Dolphins. Fellow AFC East rival Buffalo also made the cut, as did the reigning Super Bowl champions in Kansas City. Among the rest of the accepted bids:
- Baltimore Ravens
- Carolina Panthers
- Denver Broncos
- Detroit Lions
- Houston Texans
It should not come as a surprise that the Dolphins are near the front of the pack here, given they were one of the first NFL franchises to outline an amended admissions process and game day experience at Hard Rock Stadium when the pandemic first hit. Additionally, the Dolphins are the first NFL franchise to receive GBAC Star accreditation for their efforts in sanitation at Hard Rock Stadium.
Say what you will about the Dolphins’ on the field prowess as of late, there’s little question Miami is near the top of the pack in tackling the challenges that come with a global pandemic threatening the status quo.