Chris Mortensen: I’ve Heard Arians Is Trying To Decide How Close He’ll Be To Players
July 23rd, 2020
Joe’s antennae sure stood tall hearing longtime NFL super insider Chris Mortensen speak yesterday to a national audience about Bruce Arians considering a more hands-off approach.
Mortensen wasn’t on his home turf of ESPN; he joined SiriusXM NFL Radio and talked about issues teams are dealing with related to The Sickness, as well as NFL-union negotiations.
In the midst of that, Mortensen dropped this nugget without being asked about the Buccaneers head coach.
“Bruce Arians is still, last I heard, was trying to make a decision how active he was going to be in terms of proximity, physical proximity to his players,” Mortensen said. “He’s a high-risk guy. I’m a high-risk guy. You’re in your sixties, you’ve had cancer or you have cancer still.”
Will Arians have to be ready to step in as a playcaller if Byron Leftwich gets quarantined during the season? Mortensen talked about that possibility, which he believes means Arians must stay very connected.
It’s unclear what exactly Mortensen heard about Arians or when he heard it, but it was clear from the interview that Mortensen is very much on top of things happening around the league.
Joe hopes the Bucs get clever and creative here. Team Glazer needs to open the vault to provide whatever Arians needs to stay safe and connected to players. If the guy needs a freakin’ air conditioned space suit with a megaphone and a connection that will allow him to drink whiskey in there, then ownership better step up.
Whatever it takes.
July 23rd, 2020 at 3:48 pm
He’s not often close to players at practice as is. I’m not sure how close he is in the football operations side of the building.
July 23rd, 2020 at 4:07 pm
If he doesn’t make the playoffs he’s going to be real close to these Kangols i will take a dump in that I purchased from his foundation.
First class mail.
July 23rd, 2020 at 4:22 pm
if you wear a kangol in order to look or be more like bruce arians, you are a really weird person…
#ThinkAboutIt
July 23rd, 2020 at 4:59 pm
If Leftwich goes down Brady should run the offense,he should even if Leftwich is healthy.
July 23rd, 2020 at 5:15 pm
Arians is an example of someone who needs to take extra precautions against the sickness. Not an athlete that’s in the prime of his life and in great shape.
July 23rd, 2020 at 6:00 pm
A megaphone with a mask on it will work quite nicely…..
July 23rd, 2020 at 6:07 pm
It wouldn’t surprise me if Arians coaches from the booth this season
July 23rd, 2020 at 6:11 pm
On the practice field, just enclose his golf cart and give it a PA system.
In the building how about one of those robots they have in some
hospitals that have a teleconference screen. This way he can roam around and interact while staying in his office.
July 23rd, 2020 at 6:30 pm
TSmitty…I think that sounds most likely. A separate booth.
July 23rd, 2020 at 7:03 pm
Maybe he will be in one of those towers on the practice field where they have the cameras. He can yell down with a mega phone. Get him used to being in the box again for game days.
July 23rd, 2020 at 7:10 pm
Stale Biscuit watched from a golf cart last year during camp. Maybe the Glazers buy him a helicopter to hover over the practice field. He didn’t help Winston at all last year coaching like that.
July 23rd, 2020 at 7:33 pm
Convert his Golf cart into a pope mobile
July 23rd, 2020 at 10:01 pm
Wear a mask and use a hand held speaker horn. And we are good to go!
July 23rd, 2020 at 10:57 pm
@big stinky JW crapped his own bed. He had more coaches at his disposal than any starter in the league. He is Jw and he did what he does. New team and best wishes.
July 24th, 2020 at 12:58 am
“If the guy needs a freakin’ air conditioned space suit with a megaphone and a connection that will allow him to drink whiskey in there…”
^
That needs to happen regardless if there is a season or not. I also volunteer to be a test subject.
July 24th, 2020 at 1:28 am
Arians was brought out of retirement to build a badass coaching squad. First year. Most impressive young defense in ten years for the Bucs. Number one passing yards.
#BAboyz
GO BUCS!!!
July 24th, 2020 at 3:59 am
Ha # 1 passing yards- get rid of the qb
Must be Leftwhich and Christiansion
What a joke
July 24th, 2020 at 6:16 am
Doesnt matter Tom can call the plays.Leftwich can take the entire season off!
July 24th, 2020 at 12:22 pm
He will use common sense at the minimum. He is smart and experienced. Nothing to worry about.
In BA I trust!
July 24th, 2020 at 1:33 pm
He at least should be wearing an E95 mask at all times.
July 24th, 2020 at 4:09 pm
No reason why a head coach can’t be calling the game from the booth, and let his two coordinators run the sidelines.
July 24th, 2020 at 5:27 pm
I agree with Roy. Most shots of BA at practice are him in his golf cart watching over everybody.
I haven’t been to practice so I do not know if BA still even enjoys “physical coaching” or lets his young guys handle that.
Seems to me practice is not dangerous unless you’re the guy doing the hitting and getting chunks of virus blown directly in your face from an athlete huffing and puffing from exertion. Ten feet away…not so much…twenty feet away outdoors no sweat.
The real danger will be on the sidelines game days. Celebrations are going to be curtailed which sucks.
July 26th, 2020 at 3:48 pm
Clean house they will find another scapegoat bro this time it won’t be the quarterback regardless how he plays . I just want to see the next person they will blame . Lol lol