Stomach Bug-Gate: Dolphins Cancel Practice With Eagles After Players Fall Ill
MIAMI GARDENS — Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel called it "stomach bug-gate."
A virus is going around the Miami Dolphins facility as "more than a couple" players and staff came down with the issue overnight. The issue caused McDaniel to use "an abundance of caution" to cancel Thursday's dual practices with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Dolphins sent players home and met virtually instead.
"Yeah, that was a unique curveball early this morning," McDaniel said. "It was the accumulation of some players having a stomach bug that we don't really know totally where it was coming from and just trying to be overly cautious so it did not further affect players on team and think of the best interest of the Philadelphia Eagles as well."
The issue has not affected the Eagles.
The Eagles and Dolphins are scheduled to play the final preseason game for both teams Saturday night at 7 p.m. and that remains the plan at this point.
"It all comes down to wanting to play the preseason game as planned," McDaniel said. "The best way to do that with the unknowns were to just keep everyone away from each other because clearly it's some sort of contagious.
"But it appears to be the normal symptoms that I'll allow you to detail if you'd like of stomach bugs."
Um, let's pass on the details, coach.
McDaniel did not say which individual players were affected. He did say the bug has not affected "half the team by any stretch but that's what I was trying to prevent."
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