Broncos One of 12 Teams Whose COVID-19 Plan has Been Accepted by NFL
With a pandemic still raging across the U.S., the Denver Broncos have worked diligently and with no small measure of innovation to implement an Infectious Disease Emergency Response plan. Spearheaded by V.P. of Strategic Initiatives Brittany Bowlen — the daughter of late owner Pat Bowlen — the measures the Broncos have taken to mitigate the risk of players, coaches, executives, and team employees getting and spreading COVID-19 has been comprehensive.
There's no way to perfectly eliminate any and all risk of infection, not unless the NFL were to try to follow the NBA and play in a bubble (which isn't feasible for a pro football league that employs many thousands of people to create the product fans see on the field). As it stands, though, the Broncos IDER plan has received the stamp of approval by the Colorado Department of Health and as we learned on Sunday, the league office has followed suit, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
Upon entry at Dove Valley, players are required to wear a mask at which point they go through several stages of testing and disinfection. The players will be swabbed daily to test for COVID-19 and their belongings and affects are sterilized before being given back upon admittance into the halls of UC Health Training Center.
The video below is a great look at this IDER plan as the cameras follow Bradley Chubb throughout the entire process.
We learn that the Broncos are accounting for social distancing within the facilities, including proper spacing in the meeting rooms, locker rooms, and showers. Just about anything that can be conceived to prevent the spread of infection has been thought up and implemented by the Broncos.
It's about as a safe of a working environment as any American is likely to encounter anywhere. Bowlen deserves a lot of credit.
The Broncos IDER plan has been lauded and it's easy to see why (watch that video). This is a team that has gone to every conceivable measure to minimize the risk of contracting or spreading the virus. Fans can only hope the Broncos' 31 peers across the NFL will follow suit.
Again, players will be tested daily and if/when a player receives a positive test result, that player will be isolated and quarantined for the appropriate time, while contact tracing is executed by the team's medical staff. If the players can be socially responsible and minimize their individual exposure to large groups of people outside of the facility (clubs, bars, etc), I can't help but believe the Broncos' odds of successfully rolling with the coronavirus punches are good.
Keep your fingers crossed.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
