MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles called off their second of two joint practices Thursday after a possibly communicable stomach bug made its way into the Dolphins’ locker room.
Dolphins, Eagles practice called off because of illness
About two and a half hours before practice was supposed to begin here Thursday, the Dolphins sent out the following announcement:
“Dolphins practice has been cancelled today and the team will be meeting virtually out of an abundance of caution as a result of a non-COVID illness.”
While no further information was made available, it was quickly clear that the illness was an issue with which the Dolphins are dealing. Shortly after the announcement, the Eagles notified reporters that they will still practice Thursday. The Dolphins, meanwhile, met virtually.
NFL Network reported first reported that a “bunch of players” are sick with an apparent stomach bug. The organization has not ruled out food poisoning, but that determination had not been made at this time.
McDaniel later confirmed that report, saying a significant number of players and staff members have some sort of a stomach bug.
The Eagles announced that “no members of the travel party have presented symptoms to date. After communication with their counterparts at the Dolphins, team medical officials are confident the team is in a good place to practice.”
Canceling a joint practice — particularly at the last minute — is an unusual move. Getting teams together for these sessions is a logistical challenge, coming at a non-insignificant cost and disruption to their schedule. So the fact the teams called it off suggests some level of concern that whatever the illness is could continue to spread.
The Dolphins and Eagles are still scheduled to meet in both teams’ preseason finale Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.