Like most of us, Mark Ingram has taken notice of Major League Baseball's coronavirus problem. And much like the rest of his NFL peers, has to face the reality that the NFL's return-to-play plan is eerily similar to MLB's.
So how can the NFL avoid outbreaks that may threaten the 2020 season? If you ask Ingram, it starts with positivity and simply following team protocols.
"Yeah you see the [MLB] stuff, there's cases, you try to stay positive," Ingram said. You try to stay with the protocols our team has set for us, and when you leave the facility, be safe as possible. Stay at home and take precautions that you're not exposing yourself unnecessarily."
The Miami Marlins had 20 reported cases in their locker room following their first series of the 2020 season in Philadelphia. They're scheduled to play their first game on Tuesday against the Orioles, nine days after their last contest. In response, Commissioner Rob Manfred warned to shut down the season if teams didn't manage the coronavirus better moving forward.
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The NFL has an advantage in that games are only played once a week, but the challenges of preventing an outbreak will seemingly be greater given the nature of the game and its player-to-player physicality as well as the roster size for each team.
"You just try to have a positive mindset, and honestly we're aware of [MLB], we're cautious of it," Ingram said. "We're trying to do the best we can with the circumstances and stay hopeful."
NFL teams are already dealing with positive cases one week after the start of training camp. The Bills had to send their rookies home Thursday after five positive tests, while Eagles coach Doug Pederson tested positive Sunday.
Based on what we've learned with MLB, players following health and safety protocols off the field will be critical for the NFL to successfully execute their 2020 campaign. They aren't in a bubble like the NBA and NHL, so the margin for error is smaller. Hopefully more players share Ingram's mindset on the situation.
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Mark Ingram sees COVID-19 issues in MLB, preaches 'positive midset' for Ravens locker room originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
