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The New Orleans Saints have been testing players for COVID-19 coronavirus infections daily, but they have not returned any positive tests since the first wave of rookies arrived on July 27. Players must test negative twice before they will be allowed to enter the team practice facility, and while it’s early, it appears that Saints players have done a great job protecting themselves and their families during the long offseason.
While the Saints have seen just two players opt out of the 2020 season (backup tight ends Cole Wick and Jason Vander Laan), they have not had to designate anyone to the NFL’s Reserve/COVID-19 list because of an infection. They’re one of a handful of teams to not do so, including the Patriots, Texans, Chargers, Panthers, Cardinals, and Seahawks.
That’s not to say the Saints won’t experience infections. Head coach Sean Payton was diagnosed with the coronavirus earlier this year and spent two weeks quarantined in his home while recovering. General manager Mickey Loomis confirmed that “a couple of other” members of the organization tested positive over the summer, too.
So the Saints will have to be vigilant and limit risk as best as they can once training camp begins in earnest, but the high-contact nature of the sport and its large rosters make breakouts feel like an inevitability. Payton himself has said that, at the end of the day, all the precautions in the world go out the window once two teams gather for a two- or three-hour game of tackle football.
But at this early stage, it’s hard to not feel encouraged by how the Saints are starting out. Hopefully things will continue trending in a positive direction.
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