With Coronavirus Cases Increasing, N.F.L. Will Test During Bye Weeks
As the N.F.L. grapples with its first coronavirus outbreak of the season, it has agreed with its players’ union to continue daily testing indefinitely — including on bye weeks.
The N.F.L. informed organizations of the updated protocols on Friday in a memo, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times. The update came as the Tennessee Titans were trying to contain an outbreak that is known to have infected more than a dozen members of the organization — including as many as nine players — and which forced the postponement of the team’s Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On Friday, two more Titans players were found Friday to have tested positive, according to multiple news reports, and on Saturday reports emerged of at least three more cases, involving a ninth player and two more staff members.
The #Titans have 1 more positive tests from their players, source said. In addition, two more staff members test positive for COVID-19. The cluster of positives continue in Tennessee, as does the wait to open.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 3, 2020
The growing number of positive tests raised questions about if and when the Titans can return to their practice facility, which is currently closed, and whether their next game — at home against the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 11 — will be allowed to take place.
In the memo sent to teams on Friday, the league notified organizations that players and coaches are prohibited from leaving their team’s city on bye weeks. Those who are exempt from testing are still required to report to the team’s facility for daily screening and temperature checks.
As before, any player who misses a test without permission will be fined $50,000. He will be suspended one game without pay for a second missed test and subject to further discipline, including additional suspensions, for further missed tests. Any player or coach who misses a test will be mandated to have five negative tests, 24 hours apart, before being allowed to enter their team\'s facility.
The Titans have yet to be cleared to return to team headquarters, and since transmission rates have yet to abate it is unclear when the team will do so. Tennessee’s scheduled game against Pittsburgh on Sunday, which the league originally expected to be delayed by only one or two days, has now been rescheduled for Week 7 — Oct. 25 — the league announced Friday. To accommodate the change, the Steelers’ game at Baltimore, scheduled for Oct. 25, has been moved to Nov. 1.
