NFL Notes: Tua Tagovailoa, Jameis Winston, Raiders/Rams Stadium Construction

Tua Tagovailoa

• Per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa‘s agent Leigh Steinberg took to the airwaves to defend his client as more reports surrounding Tagovailoa’s health have started to circulate. Despite two teams reportedly failing Tagovailoa on their physicals at the Combine, Steinberg says the quarterback’s doctors, “have been very clear that Tua’s health is fine. There’s no recurrence [of the hip injury] that’s going to happen here.”
• Steinberg added: “These health concerns are overblown. We’re not playing croquet here. … He checks out fine with the doctors who have spent time with him since the Combine.”
• Part of Steinberg’s comments were fueled by a report from former NFL GM Michael Lombardi of teams failing Tagovailoa on his health at the Combine, which Steinberg took issue with: “You can bet that no team is telling press people what they’re going to do. … If two teams say that Tua flunked their physicals, then who are those two teams? I doubt they would be telling a writer that.”
• Even if that’s true, Steinberg claims Tagovailoa will still be a “very high draft pick” in two weeks: “There are teams who have their eyes on Tua and they’re not worried about someone going on TV prognosticating that his health is bad.”
• Steinberg doubled down on his belief that Tagovailoa’s health won’t be an issue: “If he was not healthy, I would not be saying this. You’ll remember this interview. I didn’t build credibility over 46 by trying to spin. … He is healthy. The doctors who are spending time with him say he’s healthy.”

Jameis Winston

While the Buccaneers elected to move on from QB Jameis Winston, leaving him twisting in the wind without an apparent starting job, GM Jason Licht said that doesn’t mean they don’t think highly of Winston. They had the chance to get Tom Brady, one of the best passers of all time, and moved on from Winston as a result. But Licht said he believes the former No. 1 overall pick still has a bright NFL future somewhere. 

“We have a lot of respect for Jameis. Jameis was still part of our plan if things went a different route,” Licht said via ESPN’s Jenna Laine. “We’ve got a lot of respect for him. I thought he did a lot of great things, and anybody in our office or building would say the same thing. He did some spectacular things for us. I would never say that, personally — and I think I speak on behalf of the organization — that he’s a bust. I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”

Raiders Stadium Construction

Mortensen-McCarthy, the joint venture developing Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, announced that a second employee has tested positive for COVID-19.  

“The area where the worker had been assigned, and the surrounding vicinity, was immediately shut down and sanitized. Work continues in other areas of the project that remain unaffected,” said Mortensen-McCarthy in a statement, via Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. 

According to Akers, the worker was not in close contact with other employees and was on-site for a week before leaving on April 2. He notably was not experiencing Coronavirus symptoms while working on the stadium. 

Mortensen-McCarthy announced that construction continued in other sectors of Allegiant Stadium.

“The area where the worker had been assigned, and the surrounding vicinity, was immediately shut down and sanitized. Work continues in other areas of the project that remain unaffected.”

Rams Stadium Construction

Turner-AECOM Hunt, the joint venture developing SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, announced that a second employee has tested positive for COVID-19. 

“The worker was located in an isolated area outside the building performing backfill operations in Parking Lots F & G,” said Turner-AECOM Hunt in a statement, via Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times. “The individual had not at any time entered the building or used any of its common areas.”

The construction company also wrote that development on SoFi Stadium will continue without restriction in all capital letters. 

“PLEASE NOTE. THE PROJECT REMAINS OPEN TO WORK WITHOUT RESTRICTION.”

According to Fenno, all employees are required to have their temperature taken with noncontact thermometers at six access points to the construction site. 

“This additional measure will help sustain business continuity and ensure compliance with contractual and regulatory obligations,” per the email. 

Fenno notes that workers can opt-out of having their temperature taken, but they would not be allowed to work at that point.