Gov. Inslee Praises Seahawks Wearing Masks in Training-Camp Workouts, 'Because Masks Work'

Russell Wilson throwing passes to Tyler Lockett. Both are wearing masks.

Wilson lifting a curl bar with weights on each end. He is socially distanced outside the team weight room on the Seahawks' indoor practice field. He is wearing a mask there, too.

Bobby Wagner doing squats on the indoor field while holding a kettlebell--and wearing a mask.

Just about every day so far of Seahawks training camp, the team has posted online photographs of their players working out while wearing masks.

Their state's governor approves.

Gov. Jay Inslee posted on his Twitter page Monday his appreciation for the Seahawks' training ways aligning with his and Washington's state government recommendations to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

"The @Seahawks -- putting in work in masks.

"Because masks work," Inslee posted.

"#MaskUpWA"

Inslee's support for the Seahawks' masks and proceeding toward the season beginning Sept. 13 at Atlanta came on a day college football appeared headed toward canceling its season this fall. The Detroit Free Press reported the Big Ten Conference is expected to cancel its football season because of the coronavirus. Most if not all the major college football leagues are expected to follow the Big Ten in canceling the 2020 season.

Meanwhile, the NFL forges on toward the first real football of training camp this week. So far it's been two weeks of daily COVID-19 testing for players, coaches and staff who regular interact with them, then each team's strength and conditioning workouts. The first non-padded practices of training camps across the league are scheduled for Wednesday.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said last week he is taking personally his team's mask use, its distancing and the discipline he is demanding from players and coaches to do the right things off the field to minimize the chances of catching and spreading the virus.

Carroll is counting on Wilson, Wagner, longest-tenured Seahawk K.J. Wright and about-to-turn-35 Duane Brown to lead their teammates in enforcing the self-discipline it will take to complete this unprecedented NFL season during a pandemic.

Carroll believes the Seahawks can be an example to the rest of the country on how to combat COVID-19. He says he wants to show the nation how to succeed where much of it has failed.

The U.S. this past weekend surpassed 5 million cases of the coronavirus. That's about a quarter of the world's total cases, with the most COVID-19 deaths.

"This is very treacherous thing that everybody is dealing with," Carroll said, "and we have to have good fortune along the way, as well as great discipline.

"I'm so disappointed that we weren't tough enough, nationally. We weren't tough enough. We were too soft on it. We couldn't hang. We had to let up and find ways and excuses for our, you know, not maintaining the discipline that it takes to beat this thing back.

"So I'm hoping, in our program here, we can set an example. I don't know how it's going to turn out. But I hope we set a great example of what it takes to do this.

"Shoot, six months from now we are still going to be involved, and so as this season gets played out, maybe we learn something. Maybe we can help some other people. Maybe we can, you know, inspire somebody if we are fortunate enough to do well and do right to beat this thing that is disrupting everything."

The Seahawks went through the first 12 days of training camp without a player on the league's new reserve/COVID-19 list. They were one of five teams without a player on the virus list.

Sunday, Seattle put its first player on it. Wide receiver John Ursua is out indefinitely. He will need multiple negative COVID-19 tests before he can return to the team facility and practice.

Players go onto the new COVID-19 list after they test positive for the coronavirus, or after they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive recently.

Carroll has challenged his captains, franchise cornerstones Wilson and Wagner, plus Wright and Brown to stress to younger players the importance of adhering to the coach's number-one rule: Protect the team.

This season, that has a new meaning.

It means not going out recklessly with large groups of people. It means strictly adhering to social-distancing requirements. It means limiting the circle of family and friends with which each player interacts.

And it means wearing masks in the facility, outside it, just about everywhere.

"We are not going to be able to go and do the things that we do," Wagner said two weeks ago, as training camp began.

"Luckily, we are in Seattle, so there aren't really any clubs or things of that nature that...you know, to go out to.

"But just understanding that you need to be more conscious in your surroundings. You have to really be mindful of who you trust, as far as, what are they doing outside of the (team) building. You have to earn your trust in this situation. You have to make sure you are mindful of the guys around you, make sure you are mindful of the people that you keep around you, and understand what's at stake."

In this 2020 NFL season like no other the team that best stays disciplined, doesn't go out to restaurants, clubs and social gatherings and basically doesn't do what 20-somethings with money would do in any other year is going to win the most.

"It's players being on top of players, understanding that, you know, letting them know, again, it's going to take a lot of discipline to get this done," Wagner said, "and really being on top of everybody and really just keep pushing that message forward. ...

"At the end of the day, it's going to be a lot of self-discipline."

___

(c)2020 The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.)

Visit The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.) at www.TheNewsTribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.