Falcons close their facility because of COVID-19. What does it mean for the Panthers?
The Carolina Panthers entered intensive protocols Wednesday after one Atlanta Falcons player was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
The Falcons have since had one additional person test positive for COVID-19, per the team. Multiple reports indicate the positive test was not a player. Atlanta shut down its facility Thursday, conducting all operations virtually.
The Panthers did not have any update as of Thursday morning, but players were arriving to the facility as scheduled and the team is expected to still practice at 2:45 p.m.
As of Wednesday morning, the Panthers had not had a positive COVID-19 test or had to place anyone on the reserve/COVID-19 list. All of the players who made direct contact with Marlon Davidson, the Falcons player who was placed on the list Wednesday, were present at the Panthers’ Wednesday practice.
Being added to the COVID-19 list doesn’t necessarily mean a player tested positive for COVID-19. Players are also placed on the list if they have direct contact with someone who has tested positive.
The Panthers were expecting to be in the protocols for five days, through Saturday, meaning as long as the team has no positive tests or other new information, the Panthers will be out of the intensive protocols for this weekend’s game at home against the Chicago Bears.
The Falcons entered similar protocols Wednesday as well, which include teams taking point-of-care tests every day. Those tests allow for faster results, however, they have been known to occasionally produce false positives.
The league has advised the Panthers on protocols to take because of Davidson being placed on the reserve list. NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills, in consultation with the Panthers’ infection control officer, director of security Eddie Levins and medical staff, will determine when the team is relieved of the additional protocols.
The additional protocols the Panthers had taken included wearing face masks or an Oakley Faceshield at practice and players wearing masks in the locker room and not being in the locker area for more than 15 minutes.
The Panthers were scheduled to practice in pads Thursday after head coach Matt Rhule moved the team’s schedule slightly.
“I decided not to go in pads (Wednesday) just because I didn’t want guys having to wear a mask under a helmet. That seems really hard for me. Now they did have have a shield option, which I think as we move forward, but it just seemed like a lot in one day, right? Get them here, have them do all this new stuff and go out and be really physical, we practice really physically when we go in pads,” Rhule said. “We’ll probably go out there tomorrow in pads and get our physical work in. I wanted today to be about their safety, their getting used to the mask, them just handling this next step and this next step in the protocol.
“At the end of the day, I told the players, whether they love me or hate me, I want them to always know that their health comes first within our way of doing things.”
The Panthers are scheduled to host the Falcons for Thursday Night Football Oct. 29.
This story is breaking and will continue to be updated.
This story was originally published October 15, 2020 at 9:03 AM.
