Antonio Gandy-Golden is the latest NFL player to contract coronavirus. The Washington Redskins rookie wide receiver made the announcement Wednesday, revealing he tested positive for COVID-19 on March 24. However, he was fully cleared of the disease two weeks after testing positive and is now ready to get back to work.
“My symptoms were mild, but I self-quarantined for two weeks and followed all guidelines for health experts, Gandy-Golden’s statement said, which was posted by Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. I was fully cleared April 7. I feel 100 percent now and can’t wait to get on the field for the Redskins ASAP.” According to ESPN, Gandy-Golden is the first person in the Redskins organization to test positive for coronavirus. Former Redskins defensive end Dexter Manley was sent to the hospital over the weekend for symptoms similar to COVID-19.
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NFL teams are allowed to reopen their facilities after closing back in March over the coronavirus pandemic. However, the Redskins’ facility remains closed for the time being, except for trainers and players who are rehabbing injuries. In the meantime, players have been meeting with each other and coaches via Zoom. Redskins head coach Ron Rivera said there were 130 people on a recent call, which included every player and coach, for a webinar.
The Redskins are happy that Gandy-Golden is healthy because he’s competing for a starting job. The team drafted Gandy-Golden in the fourth round back in April out of Liberty, and Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared him to Miami Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker “While his hands were superior in ’19, it’s possible that focus drops could return with bigger, better players beating on his routes from snap to whistle,” Zierlein wrote. “When he does catch it, he has an innate ability to add yardage after the catch with his size and agility. Gandy-Golden’s route-running is still a work in progress, but his build-up speed, length and ball skills could allow him to develop into a dangerous third-level threat on the next level.”
The Redskins are looking to bounce back after a rough 2019 season. The team finished with a 3-13 record, the least amount of wins since the 2013 season. Rivera is the Redskins’ new head coach after spending the last nine seasons with the Carolina Panthers.
