Tag: testing

Report: Former Seahawk Ziggy Ansah going through physical with 49ers

Former Seattle Seahawks defensive end, Ziggy Ansah, is currently going through a physical and COVID-19 with the San Francisco 49ers.

A former member of the Seattle Seahawks might be staying in the NFC West this season after all. Defensive end Ziggy Ansah is currently going through a physical with the division-rival San Francisco 49ers, accourding to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

“This is interesting: Former Seahawks pass-rusher and current free agent Ziggy Ansah is going through a physical and COVID-19 testing with the 49ers, sources say,” Rapoport tweeted on Tuesday. “Nothing is done, but SF gets a first look at a potentially high-end edge talent.”

Ansah spent one season in Seattle and logged just 10 solo tackles, six assists and 2.5 sacks on the year.

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Seahawks have successful start to camp, no positive COVID-19 tests

The Seattle Seahawks have been one of only a dozen or so other clubs that have yet to have a player test positive for COVID-19 in camp.

The Seattle Seahawks have been one of the more fortunate teams around the league this summer, joining only a dozen or so other clubs that have yet to have a player test positive for COVID-19.

Coach Pete Carroll was asked about the Seahawks’ success so far during a Zoom press conference Monday afternoon.

“We’re really pleased with the start,” Carroll told reporters. “Really absolutely pleased we did everything we could have done in the quarantine week. There’s a lot that goes into that, but it was trying to win the week really, so we competed our way through it, and I feel like we did that. As far as moving forward, what’s happening right now is we’re trying to get everything in motion so that we can operate at a really high level of taking care of our guys. We don’t want to leave any stone unturned of what it takes to make sure our guys are safe.”

Players spent the first week of camp undergoing COVID-19 testing, with three negative tests required before entering the team facility. While some players have been living at home, quite a few have been staying at a local hotel since the start of camp.

Monday marked the first day the team could take the field – in a limited capacity, however – and Carroll wants to make sure he and his players are doing so carefully.

“We’re in a ramp-up period just getting started,” Carroll said “We won’t be practicing like we like to practice for days ahead here, but at this time at least we’re on the field and we’re getting going and we’re starting to make the process come to life. We’re off to a really good start with our guys. One of the big emphasis to get rolling here was coming in under quarantine mentality, and we’re very fortunate that we tested our way through it and we had very good results.”

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Terron Armstead calls arrival to training camp ‘like the first day of school’

New Orleans Saints left tackle Terron Armstead is anxious to get to work in his team’s 2020 training camp, despite the COVID-19 coronavirus.

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The NFL has had to implement so many new rules and procedures due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic that New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton almost doesn’t recognize training camp after all of the changes.

It’s started with almost a week of coronavirus testing outside the Saints practice facility in Metairie, with players arriving in waves before they can be cleared to just walk into their locker room for the first time.

For Saints left tackle Terron Armstead, the experience of seeing his friends and teammates for the first time after a long summer of social distancing has made him flash back to his schoolyard days.

“Still a bit of uncertainty, still unchartered territory for sure,” Armstead said in his first media availability session before Saints training camp. “We’re just trying to go with the flow and figure out exactly what we need to do and where we need to be. It still was that same excitement seeing guys, (but) we have different testing times. Pulling up and going to test and by the time you take off you see a few of the guys and it’s always great, like the first day of school seeing the guys again.”

The Saints are enjoying a lot of continuity from last season, with Armstead among four returning starters along the offensive line. The fifth projected starter, top rookie draft pick Cesar Ruiz, is someone Armstead and the other veterans have worked to help get up to speed before his first training camp.

Armstead credited Ruiz for being a quick study, having rapidly picked up the playbook and asked good questions during virtual meetings with teammates and position coaches. But at the end of the day, it’s up to Ruiz to keep up with the pace of the offense. Armstead and the other veterans can only help him so much, but the rookie’s knowledge of the offense has him feeling optimistic.

Armstead continued, “That’s extremely important for him. So by the time we get on the field, we just hit the ground running. There is not much time to slow roll it. We’re on a limited clock before we take some real snaps. (We’ll) try to make every single rep count, all the practice time, all the meeting time, we’ll make all of that count. It’s nothing that any of us did to put ourselves in this situation, but we’re here now.”

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Seahawks rookie draft class all under contract as of start of camp

The Seattle Seahawks rookie draft class is now under contract ahead of the 2020 NFL season.

The Seattle Seahawks now have all eight members of their 2020 NFL Draft class under contract.

On the first day of training camp, Seattle signed the following six players: first-round pick Jordyn Brooks, second-round pick Darrell Taylor, third-round pick Damien Lewis, fourth-round pick DeeJay Dallas, fifth-round pick Alton Robinson and seventh-round pick Stephen Sullivan.

Fourth-round pick Colby Parkinson and sixth-round pick Freddie Swain had previously signed their contracts.

Seattle’s draft picks and the rest of the roster will now undergo COVID-19 testing before being able to enter the facility. Three negative tests will be required for admittance.

The Seahawks will be tested Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday to start.

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New rules, important dates to know for 2020 Saints training camp

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has radically changed the NFL offseason, and New Orleans Saints training camp will also have to adjust.

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New Orleans Saints veterans reported to the team practice facility for COVID-19 testing on Tuesday, with rookie players having made the trip on Monday and now waiting on their results. The public health crisis has played havoc on the NFL’s offseason calendar, and it’ll continue to impact training camp as we approach the regular season.

Some players have chosen to opt out; one of them is Saints tight end Cole Wick, who returned from the 2019 practice squad but chose to pass on the 2020 season, citing asthma and heightened health risk. While none of his teammates have yet joined him in opting out, it’s very much a fluid situation.

The NFL and the NFL Players Associated hammered out a new training camp structure and many new rules for the remainder of the 2020 offseason, which we’ve detailed below:

  • Aug. 4: Players must submit written notice to their teams that they will be opting out of the 2020 season, either voluntarily or due to elevated risk to their personal health. The NFL and NFLPA are still finalizing this process, so players have until Aug. 4 to file with their teams.
  • Players who opt out because of heightened risk for infection can earn $350,000 instead of their non-guaranteed salary. Voluntary opt-outs will receive $150,000, though this does not extend to undrafted rookies.
  • Once training camp begins, the first phase will include a 20-day “ramp-up” period, starting with four days of COVID-19 testing and two additional days of conventional physicals. Players will not be allowed into the team practice facility until they have received two negative tests, and will not count against the roster limit while testing positive.
  • The second phase of the “ramp-up” period will feature a week of strength and conditioning drills, with players working in small groups of no more than 15 individuals. Teams may practice with helmets and shells, but no pads, during the final five days of this period.
  • Aug. 16: All teams must cut their rosters down to 80 players, the day before padded practices begin. With Wick opting out, the Saints currently have 89 players under contract, so some of them won’t have much of a shot at making an impression before things heat up on the practice field. We’ve highlighted ten names to watch for this first wave of roster cuts.
  • Aug. 17: Teams may begin holding padded practices, with no more than 14 sessions total before the start of the regular season. Padded practice sessions will last no more than 90 minutes at first, with 15-minute increments added onto each subsequent practice until they reach a total of 120 minutes. Players will be given one day off for seven days of work.
  • The 2020 preseason series has been canceled.
  • Sept. 4: Teams must cut their rosters down from 80 players to just 53, and file waivers claims in order to fill out their practice squads. The 2020 practice squad will expand to 16 players to accommodate expected absences due to COVID-19 infections.
  • The NFL’s 2020 salary cap will remain stable at $198.2 million, but the 2021 salary cap will fall no lower than $175 million due to expected revenue losses. It may rise depending to changes in leaguewide revenue, but any losses will be divided up through 2024.
  • If the NFL season is canceled after games are played, players that were on the 53-man roster will receive a $300,000 stipend. But if the season is canceled before final roster cuts, only those players who were on teams in 2019 will receive a stipend of $250,000.
  • The NFL and NFLPA agreed to start a fund to pay back benefits lost to declines in revenue, which will run through 2023.

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Seahawks training camp: What’s on the schedule for Week 1

Here’s a look at the schedule of events for the Seattle Seahawks first week of training camp and COVID-19 testing ahead of physicals.

The Seattle Seahawks are set to kick off training camp on Tuesday, July 28, and this year’s schedule of events is definitely going to look a bit different for both fans and the players.

Due to extensive coronavirus concerns and per the guidelines agreed to by the NFL and NFLPA, players reporting to the VMAC will first take back to back COVID-19 tests on Tuesday and Wednesday before isolating and returning to take a third test on Friday.

Players will only be able to enter the Seahawks facility once a third negative test has been documented. The league estimates a roughly 24-hour turnaround time for test results. If negative, players will then proceed on to physicals and equipment fitting.

 

During the initial few days of strict testing, players will be mandated to attend virtual COVID-19 training and education and may participate in administrative and football-related meetings.

Welcome to the new Week 1 of training camp!

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Saints training camp: Rookies, veteran players testing for COVID-19 soon

The New Orleans Saints will test rookies for COVID-19 coronavirus infections on July 27 and veterans on July 28, just before training camp.

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The NFL and the NFL Players Association have each approved adjustment plans to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic, so both sides are moving full-steam ahead into training camp.

That extends to the New Orleans Saints. The Saints will test rookie players (on Monday, July 27) and veterans (on Tuesday, July 28) for infections in the days ahead, which was reported by NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill and confirmed by Nola.com’s Amie Just. Players must receive two negative test results before they will be admitted to the team practice facility, per new NFL rules.

It’s the next hurdle between now and the start of Saints training camp, which was originally scheduled to kick off on July 28. But the pandemic has again changed the NFL’s offseason calendar, including the cancellation of 2020 preseason games. Teams will spend the next several weeks putting players through strength and conditioning programs while preparing for training camp, which likely won’t resemble its old self until mid-August.

So prepare now for more of the same, strange offseason we’ve seen so far. With coronavirus cases still surging around the country, the NFL won’t settle into its usual rhythm for quite some time. At least every day takes us one step closer to the season-opener between the Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 13.

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Daily tests, proximity trackers among new COVID-19 protocols for Cowboys camp

The NFL and players union agreed to protocols that will dictate the frequency of player testing as the proposed 2020 season nears.

Even attempting to play a football season during a global pandemic was always going to require a significant testing plan for players, coaches, and team personnel. That plan looks to finally be in place, just hours before Cowboys rookies were set to report to the Star in Frisco.

The NFL and NFL Players Association came to an agreement on testing protocols Monday afternoon. According to USA Today‘s Jori Epstein, “players, coaches, and designated staff who interact with them will undergo COVID-19 testing daily throughout the first two weeks of training camp.” Epstein’s report cites confirmation by league Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills.

The plan provides for daily tests for the first two weeks of camp, but specifies that testing frequency could drop if certain positivity benchmarks are achieved.

“The original plan had been to test every other day,” notes Cowboys staff writer David Helman, “but many prominent players took to social media over the weekend to question the league’s protocols.” The daily testing with an option to eventually downshift to every other day appears to be one of the compromises reached during a round of conference calls between the two sides.

Players will notably be required to test negative more than once before taking part in team activities or even entering the club’s facilities.

How team personnel move throughout their facilities while practicing and conducting official business has been left up to the individual clubs. All 32 organizations were required to submit detailed infectious disease emergency response (IDER) plans that separated personnel into tiers and laid out who could be where and when during team activities.

Teams will “require daily temperature screening, symptom monitoring, social distancing, and masks,” but Epstein points out that players will also wear “Apple Watch-like” proximity trackers to help with contact tracing when a test comes back positive.

 

“If a player tests positive but has no symptoms,” writes NFL.com columnist Judy Battista, “he can return to the facility 10 days after the initial positive test or if he receives two consecutive negative tests within five days of the initial positive test. If the player has a positive test and symptoms, he can return after at least 10 days have passed since the symptoms first appeared and at least 72 hours have passed since he last experienced symptoms.”

Despite all these safeguards and precautions, Dr. Sills emphasized that it will be up to players and staff to modify their typical behavior, both at the team facilities and away from it, to mitigate the risk of infection and minimize spread.

“We cannot test our way to safety,” Sills said.

But as of now anyway, it appears that the league can test its way to the start of training camp.

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NFL, NFLPA agree to daily COVID-19 tests for players

The NFL and NFLPA have come to an agreement to do daily testing on players for COVID-19.

The NFL and NFLPA have agreed to conduct daily testing on players for COVID-19.

The move comes as Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs rookies have already reported to their respective team facilities. With training camp on the horizon, the league and the union continue to work out safe workplace practices amid the pandemic.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the daily testing will be conducted for the first two weeks of training camp. At that point, if less than 5% of the players test positive, the testing will shift to every other day. If 5% or more of the players continue to test positive, then the daily testing will continue.

According to NFL.com columnist Judy Battista, an anonymous NFL owner told her that they should expect positive results in the beginning.

“Another note on NFL testing: was told by one owner that they have been told to expect the positive tests to possibly be high early on as players arrive from home, before everybody gets into the protocol of regular testing,” Battista wrote. “Then expected to level off.”

The NFL proposed cutting the preseason down to just one game to give teams and players extra prep time to get ready for an unprecedented season.

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NFL coaches to join conference call to discuss COVID-19 protocols for season

All 32 NFL coaches are expected to join a conference call Monday afternoon to discuss COVID-19 protocols for a safe start to the season.

NFL training camps around the country are slated to begin in just a little over three weeks, yet with the rise of COVID-19 cases nationally, the start of the 2020 season seems more and more in jeopardy.

Conference calls with owners, player representatives and the NFL Players’ Association have happened recently and now it’s the coaches’ turn to learn the details of the protocols required for a safe reopening this summer.

All 32 NFL head coaches will be participating in a conference call Monday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. PT, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini, who was the first to tweet the news.

The NFL has already canceled a number of events in light of the coronavirus pandemic, including the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, enshrinement ceremony and the supplemental draft.

The players’ union and the league still have to come to terms on the number of games to be played in the preseason, with recent reports indicating the exhibition scheduled could be cut in half.

This story is continuing to develop.

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