Getty Rod Wood before a Lions game.
The Detroit Lions have been touched by the coronavirus pandemic like every NFL team, and they have taken some precautions to ensure that the facility is as safe as possible in 2020.
Recently, ahead of training camp, the team revealed that they had made some changes to things around Allen Park. Rod Wood walked fans through a new video that showed some of the changes around the facility. Some were simple such as arrows on the ground and reminders to keep 6 feet apart with temperature checks. Others, such as a reconfigured lunch room were a bit more complex.
Here’s a look
Come inside the 🏡 of the 🦁 to see how we’ve prepared to welcome our players back for 2020 Training Camp presented by @RocketMortgage.
Perhaps the most interesting new element of the facility was the practice field being used as a 90 player meeting room with seats 6 feet apart. It might be tough, but the Lions seem to be well prepared to deal with their new normal thanks to what they’ve been able to engineer in the meantime.
Bob Quinn Explains Other Lions Changes
The Lions have managed to weather the storm fairly well and are looking prepared to deal with the pandemic as best they can. General manager Bob Quinn spoke with the media and said that the team has been preparing as best they can by cleaning the facility regularly.
Quinn is going over some of the new safety protocols in Allen Park, said Lions have put their facility through 10 deep cleans, which means no one allowed in the building for 48 hours. There’s plexiglass between lockers in the locker room
Additionally, the team’s positional rooms have been moved around in order to better suit the needs of social distancing and the players.
Quinn said the Lions’ QB room is not usable right now because of its size. Every position has gone up a room, essentially, so OL will use the team meeting room, which previously held 120 people. Now holds 34 max.
The team is also going next level in terms of tracking movements within the building, which could be a big plus in terms of limiting the spread.
Players and staff will be wearing microchipped devices (sweat bands, wrist bands), that will track which people you are contact with in the building. Devices blink and give audio alerts if you get too close to people outside designated tiers.
All of these precautions hopefully will mean the Lions can navigate the pandemic well and stay out of trouble in terms of having an outbreak on their team.
Lions Restart Plan Approved by NFL
The Lions were revealed to be one of just 8 teams who’s IDER plan, that is the infectious disease emergency response plan that the NFLPA has approved on the way toward getting training camp going. The league has sent in 32 proposals, and currently, 24 are under review according to the document.
All 32 teams have submitted IDER plans–8 of them have been approved and the remaining plans are under review.
The Lions being in the approved stage is huge. Theoretically, this shows the team has been on top of things and has one of the best possible plans as it relates to getting their camp going and progressing safely. All of this offseason, the Lions have been solid in terms of their virtual program and it shows the team is ahead in terms of getting things going in the right, safe way.
It will be interesting to see how many of the plans get on the right track in the days ahead.
Lions Call on Fans to Wear Masks
As the league ponders what’s next for training camp, the preseason and the regular season, it’s clear the quickest way back to any semblance of normalcy is if folks mask up. The state of Michigan has asked everyone to chip in and do their part, and now so have the Lions.
The team revealed an internet video in which Matthew Stafford is shown warming up sporting a mask which has been superimposed over his face.
Please. Wear. A. Mask. So. We. Can. Play. 🏈
On Twitter, the team also made a simple change to their avatar, putting a small mask over the Lions logo’s face.
New avi looking good, @Lions
At this point, safety and wearing a mask is vital to the cause, so credit the Lions for showing the way for folks at this point. By doing so, they are being strong members of the community and showing a commitment to what’s right and the greater good.
The Lions are clearly taking the coronavirus seriously in all facets as this proves, which is great to see. The hope is that the team can be one of the leaders in the NFL in terms of getting things right with the preparation for the year.
READ NEXT: Lions Best Training Camp Battles to Watch