Tag: NFL coronavirus

Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen help feed the Tampa community during coronavirus crisis

New Bucs QB Tom Brady and his wife Gisele Bündchen have paid for meals to help feed the Tampa community amid the coronavirus crisis.

Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady may be new to the Tampa community, but that hasn’t stopped the future Hall of Fame quarterback and his wife Gisele Bündchen from helping those in need during the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Brady and Gisele have made a sizable contribution to feed those in need during this tough time. Take a look.

Per the Tampa Bay Times:

“Feeding Tampa Bay is the largest food rescue and distribution organization in the community. It has mobilized during the coronavirus to provide thousands of meals to children who normally eat breakfast and lunch at schools, and to seniors whose communities have limited or banned visitors.”

Brady isn’t just about making Tampa better on the field. He’s going to do what he can to make the community stronger as a whole off of it, too.

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Warren Sapp sounds off on people not practicing social distancing

Tampa Bay Buccaneers great Warren Sapp was none too pleased to see people not practicing social distancing.

It’s a strange time for all of us as the world deals with the effects of the coronavirus. Sports has come to a halt, as has much of daily life for many people. One of the best ways to ensure health and safety right now is to practice social distancing.

In many stores, you’ll find signs instructing people to keep a safe distance from each other, especially around the checkout line. Should be easy enough to understand, right? Well, apparently not.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Hall of Famer Warren Sapp took to his Instagram the other day to sound off on those not taking things seriously. Take a look.

If stores can’t get people to practice social distancing, maybe they can get Sapp to come in and put them in line. Literally.

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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.”

Eagles postpone season-ticket payments for fans amid the coronavirus crisis

Eagles announced that they’ve postponed season-ticket payments for fans

With the city of Philadelphia and the country battling a pandemic crisis, the Eagles have notified their season ticket holders that they are postponing the next payment for 2020 tickets.

The second payment on tickets was due April 16, but with concerns amid the COVID-19 virus, all future payment installments will be pushed back until the crisis has subsided.

“The timing of future payments will be determined and communicated at a later date,” the Eagles said in an email sent to their season-ticket holders via The Inquirer. “We are closely monitoring developments and will evaluate every option to ensure that you have the flexibility to make your scheduled payments within a reasonable time.

All Eagles and NFL team facilities are currently closed indefinitely because of the virus and the draft process is still expected to happen as planned.

Devin White offers advice about how to stay strong during the coronavirus pandemic

Bucs linebacker Devin White took to social media recently to offer advice to fans about how to stay strong during the coronavirus pandemic.

With most of the country practicing social distancing and self-quarantine amid the coronavirus pandemic, it’s a tough time for everyone. Life has come to a temporary standstill, including sports, which has often been an outlet for many of us in times of stress.

The NFL free agency period has certainly provided its fair share of exciting moves to help distract us a little, though, including the Buccaneers landing the biggest free agent in franchise history — Tom Brady.

The Bucs are looking like a legitimate contender in the NFC next year, and not just because Brady will be leading an offense that tied for third in scoring last season (28.6 points per game). Tampa Bay’s defense is coming on strong, and the second-half emergence of rookie linebacker Devin White last season has many fans excited about what he’ll do for an encore.

For now, though, White is practicing social distancing like the rest of us, and he took some time recently to give a word of advice to people in this crazy time.

Take a look.

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NFL providing Game Pass for free to promote social distancing

To promote social distancing during this pandemic, the NFL is offering complimentary access to Game Pass for viewers worldwide.

With the global sports landscape at a standstill, the NFL has provided some much-needed distraction amid the coronavirus pandemic.

To promote social distancing during this pandemic, the NFL is offering Game Pass, which includes original game broadcasts and NFL Originals, for free to residents in the United States and internationally.

This would be the perfect time for Bears fans to relive some of the storied franchise’s most memorable moments — or even if you want to re-live the previous season in its entirety. Well, scratch that last part.

Click here to learn more about how to apply for complimentary access for Game Pass.

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2020 NFL free agency: What to know at the start of the league year

2020 NFL free agency: What to know at the start of the league year

The NFL’s new league will start on time and at 4:00 pm, New York time, free agency will officially start and players will be free to sign their name in ink.

Due to the global pandemic, the coronavirus (COVID-19) presents, the league has altered its draft plans. There will be no public participation or fan zones and instead the 2020 NFL Draft will be a televised event with very limited attendees.

Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported that a memo was sent to the league indicating the coronavirus will affect free agency, as it might delay the official signings and trades pending physicals.

Teams will now be forced to rely on neutral doctors instead of their own physicians to evaluate players they want to sign in free agency after the NFL banned in-person meetings.

“Don’t expect a flood of official signing announcements at 4 p.m. tomorrow,” wrote Pelissero.

“The memo says teams may not announce a player has agreed to terms pending a physical-only if they have executed a contract with the player.”

Players are also prohibited from entering club facilities through March 31 and although teams can contact a physician near the player’s home, they may not be comfortable with that setting.

NFL executives also let teams know that they “should consider including contingency language in trade agreements to account for a scenario where a player is unable to take and pass a physical …” because of special rules regarding the coronavirus.

Deals agreed to can’t become official on Wednesday at 4 p.m., the start of the NFL free agency period, without players passing physicals.

That could altar trades or have some voided if teams can’t come to an agreement on physicals and exams.

2020 NFL Draft to proceed as scheduled, but public events canceled in Las Vegas

On Monday, the NFL announced that it will proceed with the 2020 NFL Draft as planned for April 23-25 – but public events are canceled.

As the coronavirus pandemic has affected the global sports landscape, the NFL continues to march forward. On Sunday, the league announced that the new league year — and free agency — would commence as usual beginning Wednesday.

On Monday, the NFL announced that it will proceed with the 2020 NFL Draft as planned for April 23-25. But all public events planned in Las Vegas will be canceled.

According to the league, they’re “exploring innovative options for how the process will be conducted” noting that the selection process “will be televised.”

Here’s the official statement from commissioner Roger Goodell:

“This decision reflects our foremost priority — the health and safety of all fans and citizens. While this outcome is disappointing both to the NFL and to the Las Vegas community, we look forward to partnering with the Raiders, the City of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for a future NFL Draft as well as evaluating opportunities for other major NFL events in Las Vegas in the future, including the Super Bowl.”

Chicago has eight draft picks, including a fourth-round compensatory pick that was awarded to them in exchange for Adrian Amos. Two of the Bears’ picks come in the second round at No. 43 and No. 50 overall.

With no shortage of roster needs, general manager Ryan Pace has his work cut out for him.

NFL coronavirus update: Is the NFL stopping the 2020 season?

The NFL and individual teams have been altering their schedule with the coronavirus outbreak continuing to spread.

Sports around the world are suspending, postponing and fully stopping as the threat of the coronavirus (Covid-19) continues to grow. With players in the NBA testing positive for the coronavirus and some states stopping large gatherings of all types, it has left fans wondering how the NFL is being affected.

The Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have currently suspended travel ahead of free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft due to the coronavirus, according to NFL.com. The league itself has canceled its 2020 Annual League Meeting, scheduled from March 29-April 1, according to a press release from the NFL. The open football issues that were to be figured out there are being pushed to the Spring meeting instead, which is currently on the schedule for May 19-20.

As of right now, the NFL has no plans to alter the start of the league year from March 18, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano. The NFLPA also has no plans to alter its deadline to vote on the proposed CBA, which is currently scheduled to finish just before midnight on Saturday, March 14.

The situation remains fluid and things could change in the coming days and weeks. But for right now, things remain relatively stable in the football world.

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