Should NFL teams isolate the QB as much as possible this year?

Our recent round table discussion had us asking our writers some questions pertaining to the NFL season in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve made it through these three so far;

Do you think the NFL will play a full regular season schedule in 2020?

What should the NFL do if some states allow fans and others don’t?

Should NFL rosters be expanded in 2020 due to COVID-19?

And here’s the latest question we asked our staff...

Bruce Arians floated the idea of keeping a quarterback completely isolated from the team just in case COVID hits his quarterback room. Is he brilliant or nuts?

Ken Mitchell - I’d be perfectly fine if the Bears want to pay Tyler Bray to be “on call” and have him work out at home away from the team. It seems like a really goofy idea... heck, it IS a really goofy idea... but 2020 has been a darned goofy year.

Jeff Berckes - First, Bruce Arians is brilliant. Full stop. If you haven’t read his book (Quarterback Whisperer), do yourself a favor and buy a copy right now. Second, the idea is pretty interesting. I’m going to assume there will be some provisions for an extra player on the roster and you could find worse ways to buy insurance than that. Also, Quarantine Quarterback is an amazing title.

Bill Zimmerman - This is far from nuts. If your starting QB gets COVID-19, your odds of winning are probably cut in half. If your entire QB room gets COVID-19 and you need to sign a QB off the street, your odds of winning are reduced to basically zero. If you are going to keep your QB1 with the team, you should isolate your QB2 and keep him with the expanded isolated practice squad that I mentioned previously. He can jump into the QB room via Zoom or whatever technology you want to utilize. But this isn’t crazy at all, it’s smart, logical thinking.

Robert Zeglinski - Somewhere in the middle. The only issue with keeping a quarterback isolated from everyone else is what happens when he has to play in crisis. He hasn’t had dialogues with his peers. He’s been more than likely practicing alone. He’s probably worse off than other replacement value players.

A thought process, like a majority of these COVID-19 “Get-To-Play” strategies, that sounds far more like different stages desperation, bargaining, and denial as to inevitability more than reasonable.

Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter - I would categorize this more as “paranoid” than anything else. Then again, if I’m the head coach of a team that just signed Tom Brady to be my quarterback, I too would be superstitious. Regardless I’d find this suggestion to be humorous if not ridiculous; you should practice those same precautions for ANY player that tests positive for COVID.

Sam Householder - Bruce Arians thinks differently and has for a long time. He’s had a good run as a head coach so maybe he’s not as crazy as he seems. The quarterback is undisputedly the most important player on a football team, so if you have a good one, why risk it? For teams like the Bears, it doesn’t matter as much though because they have two quarterbacks that are roughly the same level. If you have Russell Wilson, who knows his offense inside and out, etc. and has played with most of his weapons for a couple years, what’s quarantining him hurt? There’s way more to lose without him than with him.

Jacob Infante - I get what Arians is trying to convey, but it’s a bit extreme. From a football standpoint, having the quarterback communicate and work with his teammates to build chemistry is a big part of the position. I don’t think teams would be willing to take those measures.

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. - The quarterback is the most important position in team sports, so keeping a veteran away from the team, like the Bears could do with Tyler Bray, seems logical in case of emergency. I also wouldn’t put it past some teams to take extreme measures to prevent the starting QB from being exposed to the virus. A helmet like the one in the Tweet below seems likely.

Editor’s note: The COVID-19 pandemic is a subject that requires sensitivity and care. Many families and people have already been impacted by this crisis as it unfolds. This is a reminder to please express yourself respectfully while also exercising common courtesy in interactions with one another in the comments. All WCG commentary guidelines remain in effect and apply especially. Stay safe and healthy, everyone.

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