COVID-19 outbreak forces Titans to shut down
The Tennessee Titans won’t be back inside their building until Saturday at the earliest because of eight positive tests for the coronavirus, the first outbreak to hit the NFL as it tries to play a full schedule amid the pandemic.
Tennessee is scheduled to host Pittsburgh in a matchup of two of the league’s seven remaining undefeated teams on Sunday, and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said his team has been “given a mandate” to prepare as if the game will be played on time — even if the Titans are unable to practice.
“We’re going to trust the medical experts,” Tomlin said. “If they deem it safe for us to proceed, we’re going to go down there with the intention of playing and playing to win.”
Tennessee suspended inperson activities through Friday after the NFL said three Titans players and five personnel tested positive for the coronavirus. The NFL had played three weeks without a COVID-19 outbreak. Now, the Titans will become the first significant in-season test of the league’s virus protocols.
The Minnesota Vikings also suspended in-person activities Tuesday following the Titans’ test results. The Titans beat the Vikings 31- 30 in Minneapolis last weekend.
“Both clubs are working closely with the NFL and the NFLPA, including our infectious disease experts, to evaluate close contacts, perform additional testing and monitor developments,” the league said in a statement.
The Titans placed a pair of key players, defensive captain and lineman DaQuan Jones and long snapper Beau Brinkley, on the reserve/COVID-19 list later Tuesday.
The Vikings released a statement saying they had not received any positive results from their testing after Sunday’s game and they followed NFL protocol by closing their facility immediately. The Minnesota complex will remain closed at least through Wednesday.
Minnesota is scheduled to visit Houston (0- 3) on Sunday.
“All decisions will be made with health and safety as our primary consideration,” the NFL said.
“We will continue to share updates as more information becomes available.”
If they kick off Sunday, the Titans will have spent three days in virtual, video meetings with possibly only a walk-through Saturday. The prospect of a team facing a competitive disadvantage because of the virus was not a surprise to Tomlin.
“Once we left the station and we got all teams into a training camp-like setting, we as a collective, meaning the National Football League, acknowledged that this COVID environment could be challenging to that,” Tomlin said. “So we all proceeded with that understanding.”
Titans coach Mike Vrabel is scheduled to talk to reporters today.
Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to teams Tuesday noting the protocols set up by the league and the NFLPA are being followed. Those who tested positive will be isolated, monitored and offered medical care, and family members also are offered testing. Officials and others who worked the game will be tested.
“This is not unexpected; as Dr. Sills and others have emphasized, there will be players and staff who will test positive during the season,” Goodell wrote in the memo obtained by The Associated Press, referencing the NFL’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills. RAIDERS PLAYERS SHOWN AT CHARITY EVENT WITHOUT MASKS >> Several Raiders players attended a charity event held by teammate
Darren Waller that violated Nevada rules for the coronavirus pandemic and might have broken NFL regulations.
The Darren Waller Foundation held a fundraising event at the DragonRidge Country Club in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson on Monday night. The money being raised was intended to help young people overcome drug and alcohol addiction.
Players were seen on video without masks during the indoor event while talking and mingling with guests, who also weren’t wearing masks.
The City of Henderson fined the country club $2,000 on Tuesday for four violations of the Nevada governor’s COVID-19 emergency directives, including people not wearing masks and more than 50 people at the event.
This is the latest possible infraction of the COVID-19 protocols by the Raiders early this season. Coach Jon Gruden was fined $100,000 and the team fined $250,000 because he failed to wear his mask properly on the sideline during a Week 2 game against the New Orleans Saints.
CHARGERS PLACE CB HARRIS (FOOT) ON INJURED RESERVE >> Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Chris Harris Jr. landed on injured reserve with an ailing right foot that is expected to sideline the veteran for four to six weeks. Harris, 31, signed with the Chargers in March after playing his first nine seasons with the Denver Broncos.