ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) Vic Fangio says he’s confident his team is safe and feels the Denver Broncos are insulated from a major coronavirus outbreak despite another player testing positive for COVID-19.
”There’s always concern, but the thing I really feel good about is that none of the positive tests that we’ve had have originated from this building,” Fangio said during a conference call with Denver media Wednesday after he canceled practice and ordered his coaches and players to work from home.
”It’s all happened in the guys’ or the coaches’ daily lives outside the building where they get it,” Fangio said. ”So, I actually feel better when everybody’s here than I do when they’re not here.”
Fangio canceled on-field work after a Broncos practice squad player was added to the COVID-19/reserve list 24 hours after general manager John Elway and team president Joe Ellis tested positive for the novel coronavirus that has killed almost a quarter-million Americans.
”It was in consultation between us and the league and we just felt like it was the best thing to do in light of the number of (positive) tests that we’ve had recently,” Fangio said.
KUSA-TV in Denver reported the infected player is offensive lineman Darrin Paulo, a rookie from the University of Utah.
Fangio lauded the organization’s implementation of enhanced COVID-19 safety protocols, saying, ”We’ve done a good job of keeping this building clean. Our medical people have done well, the people in charge of the facilities have gone overboard in making this place safe and I feel really confident in saying that all the positive tests that we’ve had originated from outside these walls.”
What Fangio is saying is that he doesn’t believe the Broncos coaches and players are spreading the infection around to other members of the team even though offensive line coach Mike Munchak and right guard Graham Glasgow went under COVID-19 protocols last week and Paulo would bring the number of quarantined individuals from the offensive line room to three.
Fangio said he anticipates Munchak returning to work Thursday when the Broncos (3-4) plan to return to practice to resume preparations for their game Sunday at Atlanta (2-6). Their position and team meetings will remain virtual.
The new case means the Broncos now have two players, three assistant coaches, two executives and several other staffers at team headquarters who have had to quarantine in recent weeks because of novel coronavirus infections or exposure despite daily COVID-19 testing and other safety measures.
Fangio said the infected players and coaches are all attending virtual meetings and getting their work in from home while under quarantine.
The Broncos also canceled practice last Friday when Glasgow tested positive.
”It’s distracting, it’s not ideal,” Fangio said. ”I’d be lying to say that it wasn’t. But, we’re of the mindset at the start of this year knowing that we were going to have to do some improvising and adjusting. We’ve done well with it so far.
”You know, when you first get the news that you can’t get in to practice you’re a little bit (ticked) off and everything, but you take a few minutes and take a deep breath and figure out how we’re going to beat it and get over this, and that’s what we do.”
Asked if he has admonished his players and staff to stay safe outside team headquarters in light of the spate of infections, Fangio retorted, ”No, I haven’t spoken about that the last few weeks. I’ve spoken to them about that the last few months.”
The Broncos had been planning a walkthrough Wednesday. Other than players coming in for treatment, all football activities were instead taking place remotely with players and coaches conducting their normal meetings via videoconference from their homes.
Fangio gave his team both Monday and Tuesday off following its 31-30 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
In addition to Munchak, running backs coach Curtis Modkins and defensive coordinator Ed Donatell have been under the league’s COVID-19 protocols, meaning either they were infected or had to quarantine after being in close contact with an infected individual.
The Broncos have been under the NFL’s enhanced COVID-19 safety protocols since Modkins’ infection was diagnosed in mid-October. He returned to work last week.
NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills said after Ellis and Elway tested positive Tuesday that the league believes ”there is not ongoing transmission among players and day-to-day operations” in Denver but that it was ”something that we’re going to have to continue to monitor very carefully.”
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