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Alvin Kamara’s refusal to wear the contract tracing device issued by the NFL and mandated for all players and coaches was an internal issue all season, multiple team sources said. Because of this, the league had no way to trace Kamara’s close contacts after he tested positive.
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) February 7, 2021
The New Orleans Saints are under fire again for COVID-19 protocol violations during the 2020 season related to star running back Alvin Kamara’s late-season coronavirus infection, and the Athletic’s Jeff Duncan reports an added wrinkle: Kamara bristled at the new requirement for players and coaches to wear contact-tracing devices, which made it difficult to identify potential exposures on the team once he tested positive in December.
It ended up costing the Saints their entire running backs room, including the position coach (fortunately, part-time wide receiver Ty Montgomery was able to fill in for the regular season finale). But Duncan added that getting Kamara to abide by health and safety procedures in wearing the contact tracing device was an “internal issue” for New Orleans all season long, which, frankly, is simply irresponsible. Everyone knew the rules once they showed up for training camp.
However, Kamara wasn’t the only player to balk at this new requirement. Las Vegas Raiders tackle Trent Brown cost his team $500,000 and their 2021 sixth-round draft pick after sparking an outbreak at the team facility, testing positive and refusing to wear the contact-tracing device. Described as similar in size and look to an Apple Watch, these proximity devices alert those wearing them when they were too close to others and track unique signatures to remember who may have been exposed to an infection. While they aren’t foolproof, they were an important tool in helping the league reach Super Bowl LV.
So what could the Saints lose for Kamara’s refusal to wear his device? It’s possible they can avoid discipline from the league by issuing a fine to him, but given their repeat-offender status they probably won’t get away with just a slap on the wrist. New Orleans doesn’t have a sixth-round pick to forfeit in 2021 after trading it last year, so maybe the league office looks elsewhere to punish them.
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