The NFL began the 2020 season by developing COVID-19 protocols to ensure a smooth season. For two weeks the 2020 NFL season had gone unaffected by the COVID-19 virus. But just as the back-patting began, there was a small blip on the radar in week three that went largely ignored. The Atlanta Falcons had the honor of being the first team to put a player on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Rookie cornerback, A.J. Terrell, was announced to be on the reserve/COVID-19 list before their game against the Chicago Bears. The game played on without issue, and no other players from either the Bears or the Falcons were affected. But leading up to week four, The Titans reported that one of their players tested positive for COVID-19. It was the first domino to fall, and now the 2020 NFL season faces uncertainty.
On Tuesday, the Tennessee Titans reported three players and five team personnel testing positive with the virus. This forced the Titans to take an aggressive move and shut down all in-person team activities until Saturday. Still, their number of positive tests grew on Wednesday. That prompted the NFL to postpone the game between the Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers to later in the season. The Minnesota Vikings, which played the Titans in week three, remained virus-free and only shut down in-person activities until Thursday. Their game against the Texans will move forward as planned.
On Saturday, the Titans reported yet another player, and two more staff members test positive. That brought their total to 18 COVID-positive players and staff since September 24th. The NFL postponed the Titans’ week-four game, but with the increasing reports of positive tests, the Titans’ week-five matchup with the Bills may soon be in jeopardy. The MLB suffered something similar when the Arizona Cardinals and the Miami Marlins had many players test positive. The MLB canceled many of their games, and it was unclear if the Cardinals would fulfill their 60 games within the time allotted. In the end, every team managed to finish the season, and both the Cardinals and Marlins making the postseason. But that’s baseball.
The NFL made it through three weeks without incident, but now the 16-game season is falling apart. Aside from the Titans, the New England Patriots placed QB Cam Newton on the reserve/COVID-19 list a day before their game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Speaking of the Chiefs, they also had a player come up with a positive test. The NFL has postponed that game until Monday or potentially Tuesday, depending on whether or not other players begin to test positive as well.
Supposing the Chiefs play their game on Tuesday night. That would force them to play three games in nine days. I understand that the NFL would want to minimize adjustments to the season schedule, but again, this is not baseball. Football is a high-impact, high-intensity sport that requires recovery time. The 2020 season has already seen a cascade of injuries, and playing games too close together may become another hazard teams have to face.
The NFL began the season with a solid plan. Daily testing, social distance monitors, contact tracing, and most recently, fines for inconsistent mask-wearing on the sidelines, seemed to keep COVID at bay, but NFL team rosters are large. Once somebody gets the virus, it spreads like wildfire from players to coaches, staff members, and front office personnel. The NFL needs to act swiftly; this season should not continue until more tight protocols are put in place.