NFLPA Announces 21 Players Have Tested Positive for COVID-19 at Training Camps

The NFL Players Association announced Tuesday that 21 players have tested positive for COVID-19 at training camps around the league, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. 

Rookies, quarterbacks and players dealing with injuries began reporting last week, while Tuesday was the first day that the remaining veterans started attending training camps. 

The NFLPA also announced that 107 players have tested positive over the entirety of the offseason. Players who test positive for the coronavirus—or players exposed to someone who recorded a positive test—will be placed on the reserve list until they are symptom-free and record multiple negative tests. 

The return of sports in the United States has worked to varying degrees. Both the NBA and NHL—operating in bubble environments—announced they had zero positive tests in their most recent round of testing. Major League Baseball, meanwhile, has postponed the Miami Marlins' games through Sunday after 15 players and two coaches tested positive for the coronavirus. 

The Philadelphia Phillies, who played the Marlins in their first series of the season, also have had their games postponed through Friday. The Phillies reportedly have not registered any positive tests, though last month they had seven players and five staffers register cases of COVID-19. 

Major League Soccer's FC Dallas and Nashville SC both withdrew from the league's MLS is Back Tournament after a number of positive test cases for the coronavirus. 

NFL teams will face a number of unique challenges in their return to play. For one, training-camp roster sizes are immense, along with large coaching and medical staffs. But the NFL also plans to have teams host games in their own cities rather than create a bubble environment like the NBA and NHL, bringing travel into the equation. 

And while fans will be required to wear masks at games this season, the league hasn't officially ruled out fan attendance at this time, like most leagues have instituted. The NFL does have some time to make adjustments, though with the regular season set to begin in early September, the clock is ticking.