Titans return zero positive COVID-19 cases in the final round of testing, aiming to open the Saturday training facility.
The outbreak was a planned nightmare for the NFL, which moved several games to follow league safety protocols.
According to reports, the Tennessee Titans did not return any positive COVID-19 results in the final rounds of testing and could potentially return to their training facility as early as Saturday.
Sources told ESPN there were no new cases in Thursday’s test round. With further complementary difficulties, the team should return to their facilities on Saturday afternoon in preparation for his game against the Buffalo Bills.
Trouble for Tennessee started last month when the Titans added cornerback Greg Mabin from his training team to the reserve / COVID-19 list on Sept. 24. The training center was closed a few days later. Since then, 23 players and staff have tested positive.
The outbreak was a programming nightmare for the NFL that was forced to move several games to follow league safety protocols.
The Titans’ Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers has been rescheduled for the end of this month, leading the Steelers to abandon their week off. With more cases, the game of Bills-Titans, which was initially scheduled for Sunday, has been moved to Tuesday-evening.
The New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs were also forced to postpone their Week 4 bout after players from both sides tested positive. Sunday’s Patriots games against the Denver Broncos were then moved to Monday night after two other players tested positive this week.
On Friday, Sources said that New England had no positive cases on their last round of testing, but the team would not be training.
“These scheduling decisions were made to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches, and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts,” the NFL said in a statement Thursday night.
The state of play of Patriots quarterback Cam Newton’s playing status is not yet exact. According to NFL treatment protocols, he could be allowed to join the team as early as this week after testing positive for coronavirus. Patriots coach Bill Belichick told reporters he doesn’t plan on Newton training on Saturday but hasn’t clarified Newton’s status beyond that. Belichick also did not say whether Brian Hoyer or Jarrett Stidham would have been the owners if Newton were not available.
“One thing we’ve learned this year is that we all have to be able to adapt to changes and adjustments and make adjustments,” Belichick said in a video news conference Saturday morning. “So that’s what we’re gonna do …. We’re literally taking this, and I wouldn’t even say day by day. It’s more hour by hour.”
Newton’s positive test was confirmed last Saturday by someone with knowledge of the result. The Patriots announced that day that they learned the night before that a player tested positive but failed to identify him, and Newton missed Monday night’s scheduled game in Kansas City, in Missouri. Hoyer started as a quarterback in the Chiefs’ loss but was put on the bench in Stidham’s favor during the game.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell warned all 32 teams on Monday that adherence to league protocols is mandatory and that violations that enforce schedule changes could lead to being deprived of draft picks or even giving up matches. The NFL also updated the protocols on October 2nd.
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