NFLPA Releases NFL COVID-19 Heat Map With Jacksonville In Top 3

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in the Top 3 of NFL cities effected by COVID-19 according to NFLPA

As the Jacksonville Jaguars and NFL teams league wide prepare to report for training came on July 28, the NFL Players Association has released new information relating to home cities and the spread of COVID-19.

The heat map list all 32 NFL teams within the 30 NFL cities (New York Giants and New York Jets play in the same city, as well as the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers). It looks at the 14-day average of daily cases per 100,000 people in each city. According to the map, the Jacksonville Jaguars are in a city that is currently third amongst all cities. 

The NFLPA has released a heat map of COVID-19 in all 32 NFL markets. pic.twitter.com/K6uM0FGxBr

— Allan Bell (@AllanGBell) July 16, 2020

Latest information from John Hopkins University says Duval County has 14,152 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which is 1,489 per 100,000 people in the county populated by just under one million (924,229). 

The three Florida NFL cities—Jacksonville, Miami and Tampa Bay—are all in the Top 4 on the NFLPA heat map. Miami is the top city, Atlanta is the second, Jacksonville the third and Tampa the fourth. There has been a prevailing thought that the virus would die in heat; however according to John Hopkins and the NFLPA map, it is the southernmost cities that are currently seeing the worst spike in cases. 

According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, additional information provided to players by the NFLPA reveal 72 players league wide tested positive for COVID-19 as of last Friday. With each roster carrying around 90 players on their offseason roster, that's around 2,880 players total, making the infection rate ~2.5%. 

The NFLPA says 72 players leaguewide were known to have tested positive for COVID-19 as of last Friday, according to information made available to players. With roughly 2,800 players currently on rosters, that represents about 2.5% of the workforce.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 16, 2020

No Jacksonville Jaguars players have publicly revealed a COVID-19 diagnosis. There have been high profile cases though, such as running back Ezekiel Elliot of the Dallas Cowboys. 

Teams, including the Jaguars, are scheduled to report for training camp in 12 days, within each team's city and facilities. The NFL and NFLPA have agreed upon rules to keep players distanced and safe as possible during that time. They are to remain six feet apart in the locker rooms, shower rooms, training rooms, etc. While up to two fan events are permitted, fans may not interact directly with players. And meetings are to be held virtually if possible and must be outside if they need to be in person. 

Back at the end of May, Jaguars Head Coach Doug Marrone told reporters that he and his staff were preparing safety plans for a return to the facilities so that as soon as players return as well, they would be ready to welcome back the missing piece of the operation. 

"I think right now the one thing we’re missing, we’re getting everything done, is the ability to be with our players. When they tell us that it’s safe and competitive equality comes into place, we’ll be ready to go. We look forward to it, but we know there’s a lot of work and a lot of preparation for that as we go forward." 

Earlier this month, the Jaguars announced they would be limiting capacity at TIAA Bank Field to 25% of its maximum capacity for the 2020 season.

“The health and safety of the entire Jaguars family, including our fans, remains our highest priority. Alongside our stadium partners and national and local healthcare experts, we have and will continue to work diligently to develop new protocols to ensure our team can return to the field with a clear focus on winning and our fans can return to the stadium with peace of mind," the Ja

It was our sincere hope to welcome a capacity crowd to TIAA Bank Field this fall and celebrate together with the First Coast community. However, with the health and well-being of everyone in mind, the Jaguars anticipate reducing capacity this season. In compliance with state and local authorities and following CDC social distancing guidelines, TIAA Bank Field will be able to seat approximately 25 percent of its capacity at each Jaguars home game in 2020. Once the season begins, any future increase in capacity will depend on developments on the health and safety front"