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2020 has already been a challenging year in sports due to the coronavirus, and things aren’t getting any easier anytime soon.
That’s even more true in the NFL, a full-contact sport with around a hundred people in buildings at a time between the 53-man roster, practice squad, coaching staff, and other team personnel.
As you can imagine, that makes it very difficult to avoid having a virus outbreak within teams like we saw with the Miami Marlins this week.
What makes things even more challenging for NFL teams is protecting their quarterbacks, who affect a game as much as a single player can in any team sport. It’s the last position you want to have the coronavirus impact, as that could sideline your signal-caller for at least two weeks, if not longer.
That’s why we shouldn’t be surprised if teams take a unique approach in protecting their franchise passers this year. It sounds like the Bengals and head coach Zac Taylor are already thinking of this.
During his Wednesday meeting with the media, Taylor revealed the Bengals may quarantine their quarterbacks to protect them from the virus.
Taylor says they have discussed the idea of quarantining quarterbacks. Looking into all creative solutions.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) July 29, 2020
There’s no question the Bengals should do everything in their power to protect No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow, and they also have to make sure the backup(s) can go if Burrow is sidelined with an injury or illness.
An easy way to lose multiple games before they’re even played would be to have the entire quarterback room contract the coronavirus and miss multiple games, then be left scrambling to sign someone off the street to come in and be forced into the starting lineup with little practice with his new teammates.
Still, this is a team sport that requires everyone to work together on the practice field to win on Sundays, especially with a rookie like Burrow, who needs every rep he can get, so he obviously wouldn’t be completely quarantined from his teammates. Taylor is probably thinking more along the lines of not having Burrow around other teammates and personnel outside of the practice field.