As the latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic affects the NFL with surprising swiftness, one team is taking extra precaution.
The Miami Dolphins are voluntarily moving to enhanced COVID-19 protocols, NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported Thursday.
The precaution has an explanation: The Dolphins are placing rookie receiver Jaylen Waddle on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Wolfe reported. Joining Waddle on the COVID list Thursday was rookie running back Gerrid Doaks, who is the fourth Dolphins running back on the list this week. Waddle and Doaks follow three running backs -- Phillip Lindsay, Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin -- and safety Jevon Holland, who were placed on the list earlier in the week.
COVID-19 is suddenly affecting multiple franchises as the NFL season reaches its final month, with transmission within team facilities again becoming a concern. The Cleveland Browns have placed more than a dozen players on the reserve/COVID-19 list this week, and head coach Kevin Stefanski is isolating after testing positive as well. Minnesota is missing a trio of players due to their placement on the list this week and can count three additional coaches out of action as of Thursday.
The Dolphins are attempting to limit internal spread of COVID-19 by going virtual with the enhanced protocols before the league itself makes a decision on what steps it should take next in the battle against COVID-19.
As our Judy Battista wrote Wednesday, masking, social distancing and virtual meetings within team facilities might soon become the standard once again. That is not yet the case, though the Dolphins are making the rare decision to attempt to get ahead of the virus before it affects them as it has other teams.
