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Bucs coach Bruce Arians considering quarantining No. 3 quarterback

Speaking on a podcast Wednesday, the coach said there’s a possibility one of Tom Brady’s backups won’t be in the quarterback room.
 
Bruce Arians proposed the possibility of quarantining his No. 3 quarterback to limit the number of players in close contact with each other.
Bruce Arians proposed the possibility of quarantining his No. 3 quarterback to limit the number of players in close contact with each other. [ OCTAVIO JONES | Times ]
Published June 11, 2020|Updated June 11, 2020

TAMPA — As the NFL begins to return, with club facilities gradually reopening and training camps scheduled to start next month, teams will have to adjust to social-distancing protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

It’s a new normal that will have to be navigated carefully.

To limit the number of players in close contact with one another, Bucs coach Bruce Arians on Wednesday suggested the possibility of quarantining his No. 3 quarterback while speaking on the “Green Light” podcast with former NFL player Chris Long.

“From what I’m understanding is, if you test positive, you get quarantined for two weeks,” Arians said. “Now, if you have no symptoms, I don’t know what that means. Is it a false one?

"There’s so much to learn and still explore with this thing, but I’ve thought about keeping the third quarterback on the roster out of the room. We have two guys that have been in our system, really sharp. So, I might have to quarantine a quarterback just in case of a quarantine.”

New starter Tom Brady will be learning a new system for the first time in his NFL career, but backups Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin both know Arians’ offense well. Gabbert, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury, is the projected backup. Griffin, who saw his first game action last year in his sixth NFL season, is the presumptive No. 3 quarterback.

As the Bucs began to reopen their team facility to employees, they unveiled some of the social-distancing methods they are employing through the building.

Among those is placing maximum capacities in meeting rooms. For example, the running backs room is limited to five people. There are currently six running backs on the Bucs roster.

Contact Eduardo A. Encina at eencina@tampabay.com. Follow @EddieInTheYard.