Once NFL players return to their respective teams, it’s almost a certainty that some will test positive for Covid-19, which is a reality Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson has come to terms with.
According to Paul Kuharsky, Robinson expects the Titans “will have some guys that test positive” just like teams in other leagues have seen when players returned, including the NBA and MLB.
“I think this whole thing is pretty scary, you never know how it’s going to affect different people,” he told Kuharsky. “You don’t know what it’s going to be like. I assume when we come back, we’re probably going to have some guys that test positive and we’ll have to deal with that, I am sure every team will. Every league is going through that right now.”
Robinson wouldn’t disclose if any Titans employees had caught the virus. He also figures that it would take anywhere from 10 days to two weeks for a player who tests positive to return to the field.
As far as the Titans’ approach to replacing players in the short term who catch Covid-19, expect the general manager to look within for solutions instead of bringing in players from outside the organization.
“You’re going to rely on those practice views that you have of the guys on your team and you’re more apt to stick with those guys, either on the back end of your roster or on your practice squad, then maybe you are going out and coaching somebody else,” Robinson said. “Unless you know there’s a rookie from the Jets, or Giants or Browns or whoever that really shows out in the preseason game.”
Robinson also noted that because of the Titans’ spot in the claim process, the team likely wouldn’t be able to land much on waivers.
The 2020 campaign will be about as unpredictable as they come, which is par for the course with how the world is operating right now.
The Titans, along with the rest of the league, could be faced with the reality that several players test positive in a given week and have to miss a game or two.
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