League cites outside influences for recent positive COVID tests

TheNFLcitesoutside influences for the most recent set of positive coronavirus tests, including exposures during the holiday season.

There were 21 new confirmed positive tests among players and 37 among other personnel in the league’s latest round of testing for COVID-19.

Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s chiefmedicalofficer, referred to three sources of exposure: household, outside medical providers, and community/ social settings.

“We shared thatmessage with all our clubs and the players association,” Sills saidWednesday, noting that the holiday season is not over. He also mentioned that there has been widespread testing with family members “and aswe’ve seen the numbers rise, clubs have seen that and tried to test more family members.”

Sills and his staff conducted a call with the 32 clubs on Tuesday as the league looks towardthe postseason for 14 teams and the offseason for the rest.

“We’re doing calls with the teams headed or potentially headed to the playoffs,” he said. “To sharewhatwe have learnedoverfivemonthsand howwe can double downas we enter the playoffs. Wehad a call last night looking at planning for the offseason” for such items as cadence of testing and contact tracing.

DawnAponte, the league’s chief administrative officer for football operations, stressed that the “protocols will not change as we head into the postseason.”

“We also issued a memo that covered post-elimination protocols,“she said. “They apply for seven days following (a team’s) elimination, and include daily testing and other protocols that will remain in place. Following those sevendays, the testingwould be handed over to the club for howtheywould like to conduct that.”

TheNFLhas playedall240 games scheduled through Week 16, althoughtherehave beenseveralgamesmovedto newdates because ofCOVID19 issues.

Sources: Vikings RB Cook absent after father’s death

Running back DalvinCook is not practicing with the MinnesotaVikings thisweek, due to the death ofhis father.

Two people with knowledge of the situation, speaking Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the teamdid not announce a reason for his absence, confirmed that Cook went hometo Miami to be with his family after the unexpected passing. Cook has a younger brother, James Cook, who is a running back for Georgia.