Deshaun Watson reflected on an incredibly bizarre and trying six months as the novel coronavirus pandemic altered the world.
The Texans quarterback has maintained his perspective and leaned on his faith while adapting to new safety protocols intended to prevent the virus from infecting NFL players.
“It’s been a lot,” said Watson. “Every section of the year has been crazy. That’s where I learned as a young kid to be able to adjust, to not speak on or really react at the moment. Kind of take a step back and really see the big picture. Always keep a balance, never too high, never too low, always keep my head above water. If I continue to have that and just kind of listen and kind of learn and scope out the scene and have my awareness take over, then I feel like I can be able to react the right way.”
Days before the NFL season kicks off Thursday night between the Texans and the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs, Watson is grateful to be able to play a football game and launch a season that was once in doubt. Arrowhead Stadium will be at 22 percent capacity because of social distancing limits.
“In three days, there’s going to be a football game, and that’s us,” Watson said. “We’re kicking it off. We’re the head honchos for the NFL, us and the Chiefs, to be able to show and see what the 2020 season is going to be like.”
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The Texans haven’t had any players test positive for COVID-19 since the start of camp after multiple players tested positive during the summer. Daily testing will continue during the regular season until further notice after an amendment to the protocols was recently negotiated between the NFL and the NFL Players Association.
Watson expressed confidence in the measures that have been taken, including the Texans’ investment in upgrading their facilities to medical-grade cleaning standards and installing touchless door technology to minimize the chances of infection.
“It’s been actually going well,” Watson said. “I think the NFL and the team has been doing a great job of keeping us as safe as possible and as clean as possible. Getting tested every day, having the lockers spaced out, having the different schedules, having the bubble where we watch film, making sure the practices are safe, everyone has their own material things, towels and things like that.
“Everyone else has been following the protocols. It’s been going well and it’s definitely weird that we didn’t know a month ago what the season was going to look like.”
The league has issued an extensive travel protocol that covers everything from COVID-19 testing, cleaning standards at hotels, who and how many people can be on the sideline (cheerleaders, sideline reporters, mascots and fans are excluded) to players not being allowed to use hotel swimming pools on the road.
They are allowed to order food through room service as well as Uber Eats and other third-party vendors. Players and coaches must have their own hotel rooms. There also are stringent social-distancing requirements for flights and bus trips.
‘It’s got to be 40 pages worth of protocols on traveling,” Texans coach and general manager Bill O’Brien said. “Basically, what the NFL up to this point has done, and all the teams have done, is you’ve created a bubble within your own facility as long as your players, which our players have done a great job, and your staff, staff has done a great job of just going from your stadium or where your facility is to home. You’ve created that bubble.
“Now with the travel protocols, you’re creating another bubble basically relative to your facility, the buses, planes, the hotel and the stadium with which you play. It’s unbelievable. It’s all spelled out, so there’s no unknowns.”
No NFL players tested positive for COVID-19 between Aug. 12 and Aug. 20. There were only four new positive tests for players, all from different teams, between Aug. 21 and Aug. 29 from 23,279 tests conducted for 2,747 players.
“We’re not patting ourselves on the back yet,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said during a conference call. “We have been really fortunate. The cases of COVID-19 are very low across the league. It is a testament to the plans, but most importantly to the diligence to the players, teams and their staffs. The big thing is not to get comfortable.”
Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is isolated, not permitted access to club facilities or to have direct contact with players or personnel. Club medical staff are in regular communication with individuals who test positive to monitor symptoms.
“The results confirm the great job being done by our clubs,” said Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer. “We recognize we have a long way to go. We have a relentless opponent, which is this virus.”
O’Brien can’t wait to coach in the first game of the season Thursday night. Like all coaches and staff, he’s required to wear a mask on the sideline as football returns.
“I think it’s going to be a historic night,” O’Brien said. “I know the NBA’s done a great job. Hockey’s done a great job. Baseball’s done a great job. Look, I think obviously we’re very biased, but football we believe is America’s game, and I think this is the first game of just an absolutely unprecedented time, historic time, 2020 season with two great quarterbacks, last year’s Super Bowl winner and our football team, who’s really excited to be a part of it.
“I think it will help the morale. It’s a highly anticipated game. I think it’s going to be an exciting night for everybody.”
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September 08, 2020 at 09:12AM
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Deshaun Watson ready for some football despite pandemic - Houston Chronicle
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