Anglewood, Colo. – Denver Broncos coach Vic Fangio said on Saturday that Demar Dotson and defender Austin Schlotmann were allowed to play a game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday after consecutive negative COVID-19 tests.
They were initially instructed to isolate themselves on Friday after a security officer from the Broncos, Graham Glasgow, tested positive for the virus and was placed on the backup/COVID-19 list.
Both are allowed to leave, which is to their credit and the whole operation here, Fangio said after Saturday’s training. They were removed because we were covered by these [extended] protocols, and we voluntarily chose the intensive protocols, and that helped us. These guys did a good job, wore masks and kept their distance, they weren’t considered a risk there.
1 Related
Fangio pointed out that the Broncos have remained within the improved NFL protocols introduced after a positive test, including greater social distance in the facility and additional face shields worn in practice since running coach Curtis Modkins tested positive earlier this month.
This week Modkins is back to training and teamwork.
Also on Saturday, Fangio said that Phillip Lindsey’s decline will be removed from the concussion protocol if he undergoes an additional post-contact evaluation on Saturday afternoon. The Broncos expect Lindsay to play against the Chargers without errors of judgement, while Fangio said that receiver Tim Patrick (hamstring) will coach the team for Sunday’s game before a decision on Patrick’s status is made.
Saturday’s negative test results mean that Dotson will make the right attack against the Chargers and that Schlottmann is the right defender for Glasgow. Fangio considered Saturday’s report by Steve Antonopoulos, the Broncos’ sports physician, on COVID-19 as good news and said he was constantly nervous before Antonopoulos published his latest test results every morning.
You’re nervous every night, Fangio says. Every day I wake up with a text or voice message from [Antonopoulos] because he gets the test results early in the morning, at 4 o’clock I think, and he always sends me a text or calls me to give me the results. So it’s a daily process.
Despite the fact that the Broncos received permission from the NFL to train on Friday after a positive result on the Glasgow test, as well as offensive line coach Mike Munchak, who falls under the COVID 19 protocol earlier this week, Fangio took the precaution of keeping the players away from the team complex on Friday and did not train the Broncos.
We’ve been acquitted. … In fact, it was only my intuition that made me believe I was right at the time, Fangio said. … I was happy to do it afterwards.
Fangio was also asked, given the status of Munchak and Glasgow, if any of the other members of the offensive team had been worried about the virus.
Not for me personally, but I’m sure they’re worried. That would be normal, Fangio said. But I think they’re convinced that the system and the protocols and what we’re doing here are acceptable.
Glasgow went on Twitter Friday afternoon and posted a message: Good morning, everyone. I appreciate all the good wishes. I feel pretty good now. I hope to stay healthy and get back into the field as soon as possible. In the meantime, watch your back and go, Broncos!
Related Tags:
san diego chargers,los angeles chargers roster
