The NFL’s plans to move forward with the 2020 season and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic have seemingly been on a collision course for months. Despite the necessity for a virtual draft in April, the temporary shuttering of team facilities, and the subsequent delay for teams looking to get back to work, though, the global health crisis hadn’t made a significant impact on the day-to-day world of pro football.
That may have just changed with sobering news from league insider Ian Rapoport, who is announcing that “several” players from the Cowboys and Texans have now tested positive for COVID-19.
Several #Cowboys players & several #Texans players have tested positive for COVID-19 recently, sources tell me & @TomPelissero. None of the players are believed to have been in their team facilities. The teams followed proper health protocols.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 15, 2020
Players’ names have not been made public.
Positive player tests have been a distinct possibility as the league moved cautiously toward reopening fully. Just last week, the NFL issued a set of protocols to its 32 teams detailing a plan for players to safely return to team facilities. Coaches had previously been allowed to come back to work.
Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer, on a conference call last month: "We fully well expect that we will have positive cases that arise. … Our challenge is to identify them as quickly as possible and prevent spread to any other participants." https://t.co/Uehad2qxov
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 15, 2020
Coincidentally, the Office of the Texas Governor just released a new public service announcement on the importance of wearing a facemask starring Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith.
“I wear a face mask every single day on the football field to protect myself,” Smith says in the video. “Now I’m switching it up to a different mask to protect myself and others around me. As we open up Texas, it’s crucial that we all do our part in this fight against COVID-19. So when you leave the house, make sure you wash your hands, make sure you practice social distancing, and last but not least, wear a mask. You be safe. Go Cowboys.”
Expect the debate over how- and even if– the NFL should proceed with a 2020 season to reignite with this news.
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