Report: 1 More Titans Player, 2 More Staffers Test Positive for COVID-19
October 3, 2020
Three additional members of the Tennessee Titans organization, one player and two staff members, tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday amid the team's outbreak.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the update, which brings the total to eight players and eight staffers from the Titans who've tested positive for the coronavirus this week.
Tennessee's Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which was set to take place Sunday, was postponed and rescheduled for Week 7. The Steelers' game against the Baltimore Ravens was moved to Week 8 to make room for the adjustment.
Now there are further questions about the Titans' Week 5 contest against the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 11, per Schefter.
Lindsay Jones of The Athletic reported earlier Saturday before the latest round of positive tests that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his advisory council haven't "yet started working on contingency plans" should the Titans be unable to play the Bills next week.
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters Thursday he informed his players and coaches to "not gather" in any groups until the NFL gives them clearance to reopen the team facilities:
"I have asked the players to decompress mentally. To take care of their bodies. Those players that are on the injury report, to await [trainer] Todd [Toriscelli's] instructions on when they would be able to go into treatment with just a small number of players at a time, with masks and with face shields. I asked the staff to get away. To not meet. To not worry about Buffalo. To relax. And to focus on moving ahead. That was what I asked them all to do."
If the Titans' game against the Bills is postponed, the 3-0 team's next contest wouldn't be scheduled until Oct. 18, when it's slated to host the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings, who faced off with the Titans in Week 3, haven't recorded any positive COVID-19 tests this week. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported the latest round of testing from Friday all came back negative.
Minnesota is scheduled to depart for Houston on Saturday ahead of Sunday's clash with the Texans.
ESPN's Dan Graziano reported the NFL will take the additional step of testing the Vikings on Sunday—players haven't been traditionally tested on game day—as an "extra layer of precaution" before kickoff.
The Titans-Steelers game is the first regular-season contest postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, which caused all offseason activities to be moved into a virtual format prior to training camp and led to the cancellation of the entire preseason.