Despite the news of new positive COVID-19 tests among players and personnel in the Tennessee Titans organization, the NFL still plans for the team to play its Week 4 game Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The league is evaluating the situation and will adjust if needed as more information is gathered, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Titans coaches have told players if they have to go without any in-person work until Saturday, they'll have a walkthrough then and host the Steelers at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday as scheduled, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported.
Garafolo added a few players are already talking about ways to get some work done on their own during the week while the team facility is closed due to the positive COVID-19 tests.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to all 32 clubs Tuesday re-emphasizing the importance of following the league's and players' association's joint protocols, including distancing inside team facilities, wearing proper facial coverings and related protective personal equipment, maintaining cleanliness of facilities, carefully regulating behavior and contacts outside of the club facility, and immediately reporting any symptoms a player or personnel member may have, as well as family members with whom players or personnel members have close contact.
Goodell also urged clubs to "revisit the steps they have taken to minimize the number of close contacts, particularly while traveling and within position groups, and should review their procedures for bringing in new players for tryouts and possible signing."
"Each of us has a special responsibility to keep others safe and healthy," Goodell wrote. "What each of us does affects not only ourselves and our immediate families, but many others on our own club and on other clubs."
The league will share with clubs any additional information they receive as they continue to monitor developments. For now, though, the games are on schedule to continue Sunday.
"We don't have a lot of definitive answers long term as to what the prognosis looks like," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday, via the NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala. "We have been given a mandate to prepare as if the game is going to be played, and played on time."
As Tomlin prepares his team for the game he indicated he has no reservations about the Titans possibly having coronavirus-positive players inadvertently playing against his Steelers.
"No, we're going to trust the medical experts," he said. "We're going to go down with the intention of playing and playing to win."
