Tag: Baltimore Ravens coronavirus

Mark Andrews keen to play in 2020 despite pre-existing health concerns

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews wants to get on the field in 2020, despite being in a higher risk group for COVID-19.

The 2020 NFL season is currently scheduled to start on time, but there’s a group of players with pre-existing medical conditions for whom the prospect of playing in the COVID-19 era is a little more uncertain and medically questionable. However, some players with medical issues are prepared to get out on the field when the games start. One such player in Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews.

Andrews suffers from Type-1 diabetes, a condition that could put additional stress on his immune system should he contract the coronavirus. But speaking on a Zoom call with the Children with Diabetes group, Andrews sounded like a man who was willing to play in 2020.

Type-1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. While current data suggests people with Type-1 diabetes aren’t any more likely to contract COVID-19, they do face a higher chance of experiencing serious complications if they do get it, according to the American Diabetes Association.

This isn’t the first time Andrews has talked about his diabetes in correlation with COVID-19. In a video call with reporters in March, Andrews sounded pretty confident about his health.

“So, just like everybody else, I’m staying smart, I’m staying inside, I’m social distancing myself from other people. That’s all you can do. Everyone has to do their jobs and stay smart and listen to their health officials during this time, and I think we’re going to be alright if we do that.”

Baltimore is expected to have a big year, due in no small part to the role Andrews played in 2019. He led the Ravens with 64 receptions and 852 receiving yards while also scoring 10 receiving touchdowns over 15 games. Only four tight ends in the NFL had more yards than Andrews.

According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, as of last Friday 72 NFL players have knowingly tested positive for the coronavirus. However, this is before mandatory testing has been carried out, so there’s a chance more players have contracted the virus but are asymptomatic. The virus is not going away, and the NFL may eventually have to accept that the 2020 season is not going to happen. But if the decision was left up to the players, Mark Andrews seems as though he’d like to suit up and get on the field.

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Ravens announce re-opening of Under Armour Performance Center training facility

With the state of Maryland beginning to ease restrictions from the coronavirus pandemic, the Baltimore Ravens were able to re-open.

The Baltimore Ravens joined most of the NFL in re-opening their doors on Tuesday. After initially closing their training facility and having staff work remotely in March, Baltimore’s Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills is in the beginning stages of re-opening.

The Ravens got the go-ahead from Governor Larry Hogan to open their training facility and M&T Bank Stadium in accordance with the first phase of the NFL’s return policy.

Under the NFL’s rules, coaches are still not allowed to return, as are any players not currently rehabilitating an injury. Baltimore, like the rest of the league, is also limited to no more than 75 staff members in the building at a time. The Ravens will bring back staff from the equipment crew, football video, and personnel department, according to Ryan Mink of the team’s website.

There’s hope the NFL will allow coaches to return as early as next week, according to Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson, though nothing has been confirmed by the league or the NFLPA. However, any further strides in re-opening facilities could mark the start of football returning somewhat to normal in time for minicamps and training camp. Ravens president Dick Cass had previously said he thought the league would be prepared to open back up in time for training camp, with enough testing and regulations in place to keep everyone safe.

“We believe by the time of training camp, we’ll be able to test players and coaches, and those who meet together a lot, multiple times a week and be able to get results fairly quickly,” Cass said on “The Lounge” podcast.

“If the infection rate is really low, as I expect it will be by late summer, and we have adequate testing, and people are careful when they leave the building, I think there’s a really good shot that we’ll be OK.”

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Ravens players finding ways to work out, deal with uncertainty due to coronavirus

Baltimore Ravens players Chuck Clark and Mark Andrews have turned to makeshift home gyms to work out and prepare for the 2020 NFL season.

While office jobs have turned to meetings over video chat and email chains amid the shelter-in-place restrictions across the United States, Baltimore Ravens players are finding they too have to get creative to get the job done.

In a press conference over Zoom, Ravens safety Chuck Clark and tight end Mark Andrews talked about how they’re passing the time at home and preparing for the NFL season while the rest of the sports world is idled by the coronavirus pandemic. Without the access to gyms and trainers, Clark and Andrews said they’ve turned to working out from home with makeshift setups.

“I think the biggest thing right now for most everybody is finding a space to work out and not being around a trainer or around a bunch of other people that are working out,” Andrews said. “So, just realizing that you kind of have to do it on your own. You have to get back to the basics. I have, basically, a prison workout back in my backyard with a bench and weights, and then I go to the field by myself and run.”

Clark said he’s turned his garage into a workout studio, using bodyweight exercises and a dining room chair to keep in shape.

“On my Facebook profile, on my account the other day, I posted a video and I was just showing different workouts from different people,” Clark said. “Regardless of your expertise at it, different modifications for different people, so I posted that out there and people can go check that out as well.”

https://www.facebook.com/100002890948886/videos/2461450880627919/

 

Offseason workout programs were set to start on April 20 before the league postponed them indefinitely in a memo shared by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. With federal social distancing guidelines in place until April 30, and shelter-in-place orders having been issued in all but five states, it’s unclear whether players and coaches are going to be given an opportunity to work out as a team at all this year.

That’s perhaps the trickiest part of this from everyone’s perspective — the uncertainty of how life will be impacted and when things will get back to normal. It’s heightened anxiety and frustrations for people of all walks of life, and NFL players are no different in that regard. When asked about the uncertainty of the season, that doubt was loud and clear.

“As far as moving forward and playing games, nobody knows what’s going to go on, what’s going to come from this,” Clark said. “I would love to be able to play in a stadium again where fans are in there.”

“Chuck definitely hit that right on the head,” Andrews continued. “No one knows at this point. It’s all to be determined, but those other sports that are dealing with this, it’s super tough. I can’t imagine being in that position. It’s not a normal time – nothing is really normal right now.”

Like the rest of the world, football players are simply trying to get by until normal life returns. When that happens, and what it will look like, is a mystery, but at least the Ravens players are doing what they can to prepare in the meantime.

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Ravens extend final season ticket renewal payment

The Baltimore Ravens are giving fans an extra month to make their final payment for season tickets due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Baltimore Ravens fans will now have an additional month to make their final payment for season tickets, according to the team. Due to the financial uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, the Ravens are extending the final season ticket renewal payment from May 15 to June 15.

“There’s a lot of people who are being incredibly affected by this crisis and may not have the funds available to complete the purchase of their season tickets,” Ravens president Dick Cass said, according to the Associated Press. “We’re dealing with a lot of season ticket holders who have been with us for 20 years and we don’t want to lose them. So we’re going to work with them, and hopefully we can find a solution that works for everybody.”

Of the 32 NFL teams, 28 have offered extensions in the next deadline for payments, according to the Associated Press. Only the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals are continuing with their established payment plans at this time.

“We’re constantly monitoring the serious impact this public health crisis is having on our fans and community,” Ravens senior vice president of ticket sales and operations Baker Koppelman stated in a press release. “Priorities have shifted for many people, and rightfully so. We hope this adjustment offers some relief at a time when families and businesses are forced to deal with more pressing needs.”