NFL sends proposed IDER plans to NFLPA, finally

Posted by Mike Florio on July 19, 2020, 1:45 PM EDT
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The NFL needs to have a plan for dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak within a given team. The good news is that the league finally has so-called Infectious Disease Emergency Response plans for all 32 teams. The bad news, potentially, is that the plans may not be good enough.

Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports that the Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer, has approved all 32 IDER plans.

According to Maske, the NFL Players Association has received the IDER plans, the NFLPA has approved some of them, and the NFLPA is reviewing the rest of them.

It’s important that the league, the teams, and the union feel confident and secure regarding the emergency response plans. If an outbreak happens, it won’t be time to negotiate or argue but to act, in order to arrest the spread of the virus and to ensure that few if any games will be lost.

While agreement on the IDER plans won’t solve all of the current problems between the league and the union, agreement on these critical policies becomes a step in the right direction.

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6 responses to “NFL sends proposed IDER plans to NFLPA, finally”

  1. I wonder if there are plans set in place if a player or multiple players end up on a respirator or die? Do they just move on, does the season automatically end? We know there will be pressure to end the season, but with no plan set in place this could get ugly and damage the league for many years.

  2. If I am correct world wide there has been a total of 1 current professional athlete who has been permanently effected by the virus. He was a Sumo wrestler from Japan who died. Considering the number of professional athletes there are in the world it tells me that it is statistical insignificant and almost impossible for athletes to be hurt. They should isolate anyone in their family who might be effected(just like the rest of us are doing now) and move on with the season.

    Open up camp!

  3. “there has been a total of 1 current professional athlete who has been permanently effected by the virus. He was a Sumo wrestler from Japan who died“

    —————————

    Yeah, I’d say that’s pretty permanent. I guess “permanently effected [sic]” is one way to put it. While we’re on the subject of sumo, consider the size of the average offensive lineman and the size of the average defensive tackle. Now consider how many men they’re grappling with, not unlike sumo. Except with the latter sport, only two men are grappling, not upwards of eight. I don’t know about you, but I definitely do not like those odds, nor do I like the grim reality of the very real worst-case-scenario that’s possible should one of these very large men contract the virus

    To sum it up, perhaps it would be prudent to not be so cavalier as regards this matter

  4. Wait…how many pro athletes have died because of this horrible outbreak. Oh, that’s what I thought. Get to work or take the $600 a week like everyone else. Spoiled brats.

  5. >> Get to work or take the $600 a week like everyone else. Spoiled brats.

    Somehow I don’t think you would say that if you were in their shoes. Easy to shoot from the hip on what someone else should do… especially when they are the ones who have to bear the consequences (breach of contract for instance).

    It sounds like negotiations are moving forward and I look forward to clarity on what will happen. I think they can agree to something, regardless of whether the season really can move forward. I don’t have an issue with the concept of players being able to opt out for the season as a whole – as long as their contracts toll an additional year. I would make it an in or out decision. If you are that concerned, fine, but the train is going to move and you need to decide whether you are on it. Plenty of players will jump at the opportunity to play.

  6. Plans are out there, but there are multiple jurisdictions that tug & pull at everyone differently. The NFLPA needs to Seemingly stop fighting to get the season cancelled & Work to make the best choices for everyone, including the long term viability of the League. Without that bigger scoped approach, the player’s long term prosperity is in jeopardy.

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