Report: Some Believe Titans May Avoid NFL Punishment After COVID-19 Outbreak

Amid speculation that the Tennessee Titans would be forced by the league to forfeit their upcoming game against the Buffalo Bills or be handed some other form of "historic" punishment after their outbreak of COVID-19 continued to grow, some reports suggest that the Titans will not be punished at all. 

"Currently, there's a belief in certain circles that the league will simply not take action, time will pass, other issues will emerge, and the issue of Tennessee punishment will be forgotten," ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio wrote Monday.

Florio referred to comments that Titans general manager Jon Robinson made Monday, when he admitted that his team has not "100 percent" followed mask mandates, and that he has heard the same from other teams around the league (h/t WKRN).

"The league's approach continues to be accepting that players and other personnel will catch the virus away from the building, while also trying to keep it from spreading at work," Florio wrote.

On Monday, there were no new tests to add to the organization's total of 24, and their rescheduled Tuesday night contest against the Buffalo Bills was still on. Their Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers had been pushed to Week 7 following an abundance of positive results.

An investigation into the organization, which reportedly held an illegal workout at a nearby high school after the team facility was closed because of positive tests, is ongoing. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Oct. 3 that the Titans "were not diligent about wearing masks around their training facility," and that some failed to report symptoms.

Elsewhere, the New England Patriots' already-postponed game against the Denver Broncos was moved to next Sunday after a fourth positive test Sunday. The move was just one of eight schedule adjustments made across the league