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COVID-19 News & Rumors

Titans Place CB Kristian Fulton On Reserve/COVID-19 List

October 1st, 2020 at 6:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shut down for the time being, the Titans added another player to their reserve/COVID-19 list. They placed cornerback Kristian Fulton on the list, where he joins five other players.

The Titans took Fulton in the second round out of LSU; he has played 47% of their defensive snaps through three games. Fulton, cornerback Greg Mabin, long snapper Beau Brinkley, linebacker Kamalei Correa, defensive lineman DaQuan Jones and practice squad tight end Tommy Hudson are on the team’s COVID list. Mabin landed there last week, prior to the outbreak that prompted the NFL to postpone Titans-Steelers Week 4 game.

Players do not have to test positive to land on the list, but the Titans confirmed earlier Thursday an unnamed player did so. That moves the count up to 11 players and staffers in total, counting outside linebackers coach Shane Bowen. The Tennessee assistant also wound up on the COVID list last week after testing positive for the virus.

Thus far, no one with the Vikings has tested positive after the team’s Week 3 game with the Titans. Minnesota’s trip to Houston remains a go. The NFL has not announced the Steelers-Titans matchup’s new date yet, but a Week 7 clash — thus moving Steelers-Ravens to Week 8, when both teams have byes — has been the frequently mentioned workaround.

Steelers-Titans Game Bumped From Week 4

October 1st, 2020 at 8:47am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers and Titans will not play their scheduled game in Week 4, the NFL announced on Thursday morning. The game has been postponed indefinitely due to additional positive tests in the Titans’ latest round of COVID-19 testing.

The Titans were forced to cancel in-person activities this week after three players and five personnel members tested positive. After Wednesday’s round of tests, the organization is up to eleven positive tests in total — five players and six staffers (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). The team facility will remain closed until further notice, with many more rounds of tests to come between now and their next scheduled game on October 11 vs. the Bills.

The Vikings were also put through expanded testing after their Week 3 game against the Titans, but everyone in the organization tested negative. Their game against the Texans is slated to go on as scheduled on Sunday afternoon in Houston.

On Wednesday, head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters that no one on the Titans was seriously ill, beyond the usual flu-like symptoms. Hopefully, that’s still the case after word of three more positives.

NFL Postpones Steelers-Titans

September 30th, 2020 at 10:36am CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has postponed Sunday’s game between the Steelers and Titans, according to Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). From here, the league will weigh its options, including rescheduling the game for Monday night. Tuesday night is also on the table, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), but Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com reports that the CBS crew covering the game has been told that it will happen on Monday (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).

The Titans put everything on pause this week after three players and five personnel members tested positive for COVID-19. The Titans have since placed linebacker Kamalei Correa, defensive lineman DaQuan Jones, long snapper Beau Brinkley, and practice squad tight end Tommy Hudson on the reserve/COVID-19 list (we already knew about the latter three players, but Correa is a newer addition to the list). The Vikings, who faced the Titans in Week 3, have also suspended their activities. They’re currently scheduled to face the Texans in Houston and, so far, they have not received any positive tests.

Thankfully, no one on the Titans’ side appears to be critically ill. “Some of them are indeed experiencing flu-like symptoms, (but) nothing out of the ordinary. We anticipate they will feel better shortly,” head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters (Twitter link via Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com).

The Titans advanced to 3-0 after their 31-30 win over the Vikings on Sunday. The Vikings, meanwhile, are winless through three games with a thoroughly depleted defense.

Latest On Texans, Earl Thomas

September 29th, 2020 at 6:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Some conflicting accounts emerged Tuesday after the cancellation of Earl Thomas‘ Texans workout. The All-Pro safety’s agents indicate Bill O’Brien informed them that the NFL informed him to nix Thomas’ workout because of COVID-19 concerns, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Thomas’ Houston audition was scheduled for Tuesday, but the Texans reportedly sent him home. The Texans are somewhat connected to the Titans-Vikings coronavirus situation, in being scheduled to host the Vikes on Sunday. However, the Texans worked out four other players Tuesday, Howard Balzer of SI.com tweets.

Another report points to the Texans souring on Thomas. The Texans were previously reported to be the likely destination for the former Seahawks and Ravens defender, but the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain notes that internal team discussions determined Thomas would not be a good fit (Twitter link).

The Ravens released Thomas in August after a practice skirmish with fellow Baltimore safety Chuck Clark. Ravens veterans supported the move. Other teams — most notably the Cowboys — have been connected to Thomas, but the Texans visit marked the most newsworthy development since the 31-year-old safety became a free agent. Interestingly, an August report categorized the Texans as a non-suitor as well.

While the Texans door may not be fully closed, the 10-year veteran remains unattached as October looms. Houston has used third-year starter Justin Reid and March free agency addition Eric Murray as its first-string safeties this season.

Latest On Titans-Vikings COVID-19 Situation

September 29th, 2020 at 5:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans and Vikings‘ football activities are on hold for the time being due to a Titans coronavirus outbreak. Here is the latest from perhaps the NFL’s defining September story:

  • The NFL is keeping open the possibility of moving the Steelers-Titans game to Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The league wants to keep the Tennessee home game scheduled for Sunday but views Monday as a contingency plan that would allow more time for testing and contract tracing.
  • Some of the players involved in the outbreak have surfaced. The Titans have placed defensive lineman DaQuan Jones, long snapper Beau Brinkley and practice squad tight end Tommy Hudson on the reserve/COVID-19 list, ESPN.com’s Field Yates and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero report (Twitter links). Three Titans players have tested positive for the virus, though it is not known if these are the three. Eight Titans players and staffers combined are believed to have tested positive. The five non-players who tested positive were all football-side staffers, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. This includes outside linebackers coach Shane Bowen, who received word of his positive test Saturday.
  • While the Titans are closing their facility doors until Saturday, the Vikings will not practice until at least Thursday, Breer tweets. The NFL has suspended in-person activities for both teams until further notice. The Vikings are set to play the Texans on Sunday in Houston. Both Minnesota and Tennessee’s games are scheduled for noon CT.
  • Family members of Titans and Vikings players and staffers will be tested as well, the league announced. No players and staffers were tested on Sunday, with the COVID-19 protocols stipulating tests occur daily but not on game days.
  • Referee Clete Blakeman’s crew, which worked Sunday’s Titans-Vikings game, will not work a Week 4 contest, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The crew will undergo daily testing this week.

Titans, Vikings Suspend Activities Due To COVID-19

September 29th, 2020 at 9:51am CST by Zachary Links

The Titans and Vikings have suspended in-person activities after the Titans learned of three players with positive COVID-19 tests, plus five new personnel positives (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). The Titans played the Vikings over the weekend, meaning that the Vikings were potentially exposed.

Already, the Titans have been told to stay away from their facilities until Saturday, so they’ll have to conduct all activities remotely in the interim (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini). The Vikings, meanwhile, will wait until all of their test results come in before setting a plan of action, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. The NFL has ID’d 48 individuals who came in close contact with the nine people who tested positive on the Titans, so the Vikings are taking every precaution. To date, the Vikings have zero positive tests, per a club announcement.

So far, the league has been able to keep the spread of COVID-19 at bay with regular testing and strict guidelines for positive tests. Now, they could be hitting a major roadblock. The Vikings are scheduled to face the Texans this week and the Titans are slated to take on the Steelers. Both games, in theory, could be in jeopardy if there are widespread positives. Hopefully, there are no additional COVID-19 tests, and the games can go on as scheduled with players from Titans’ expanded practice squad called up to the 53/55-man roster.

The Titans advanced to 3-0 after their 31-30 win over the Vikings on Sunday. The Vikings, meanwhile, are winless through three games with a thoroughly depleted defense.

Raiders Under Investigation For COVID-19 Protocol Violations

September 27th, 2020 at 9:28am CST by Rory Parks

Raiders HC Jon Gruden was one of a handful of head coaches to be slapped with a $100K fine for not consistently wearing his mask during his team’s Week 2 game, and the Raiders themselves were handed a $250K fine for Gruden’s indiscretion. And the league isn’t finished with Las Vegas just yet.

Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported several days ago that a team was under investigation for “unauthorized locker room access” (Twitter link), and as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com wrote last night, that team is the Raiders. This season, only 40 employees in each organization are allowed to be in the locker room, and an unauthorized Raiders employee allegedly entered the locker room following the team’s win against the Saints on Monday night.

If that allegation turns out to be true, then the league will impose discipline, according to Schefter. It seems likely that such discipline would come in the form of additional fines, but the NFL is apparently willing to go further if necessary.

Indeed, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says coaches who continue to violate COVID-19 protocols will not only face fines several times higher than the $100K penalty doled out this week, they could also face suspension. Even draft pick forfeiture is not out of the question, and to drive that point home, the coaches who received fines also received a letter from the NFL that included the following language: “[f]uture violations of this rule or any other league policy … will result in increased accountability measures for you, individually, as well as your club.”

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says that all coaches who were fined have filed appeals (Twitter link). That includes Gruden, who said, “I’m doing my best. I’m very sensitive about it. … I’m calling plays. I just want to communicate in these situations, and if I get fined, I’ll have to pay the fine. But I’m very sensitive about that and I apologize.” The appeals will be heard this week.

Interestingly, Gruden also indicated that he tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this year. He did not divulge many details on his experience, saying only, “it wasn’t pleasant” (Twitter link via Pelissero).

Falcons CB A.J. Terrell Tests Positive For COVID-19

September 27th, 2020 at 8:01am CST by Sam Robinson

Going into Week 3, the NFL has done well to prevent the coronavirus from making a major impact on its season — personnel-wise, at least. But the Falcons will be down their first-round pick as a result of the virus.

The Falcons placed cornerback A.J. Terrell on the reserve/COVID list Saturday. Players do not have to test positive to land on the list, but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com says Terrell did indeed test positive on Friday (Twitter link). The team found out about the test results on Friday night, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, who adds that Terrell was not at the team’s walkthrough Saturday (Twitter link). Terrell practiced Friday.

Luckily, as Schefter and others reported on Sunday morning, all tests administered on Falcons players and coaches on Saturday came back negative, so the club’s Week 3 contest against the Bears will go forward as planned (Twitter link). For now, the league has avoided a major COVID-related crisis.

Terrell, however, must now go through the protocols in order to return to the team. He will miss Sunday’s game, joining fellow Falcon secondary starter Ricardo Allen in that regard. The Falcons also promoted cornerbacks Delrick Abrams Jr. and Tyler Hall on Saturday. They also elevated linebacker Edmond Robinson from their practice squad.

Atlanta used the No. 16 overall pick on Terrell this year and turned to him as a Day 1 starter. The Clemson alum has played 100% of the Falcons’ defensive snaps for a team that enters Sunday’s game ranking 28th in DVOA pass defense.

Oregon S Jevon Holland Opts Out

September 26th, 2020 at 4:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

A second high-profile Oregon Duck will not play this season. Despite the Pac-12 agreeing to play an abbreviated season beginning in November, safety Jevon Holland announced he will opt out of his junior season (Twitter link).

Holland, who ranks 20th on Todd McShay’s big board of draft-eligible 2021 prospects, joins acclaimed Oregon tackle Penei Sewell in opting out. Several high-end prospects have opted out of this COVID-19-altered season, and although some moved to return to their respective schools, others remain set to steer clear this unusual season and preparing for the ’21 draft.

Holland intercepted nine passes as a Ducks underclassman and ended his sophomore season as a first-team All-Pac-12 performer. He also worked as Oregon’s primary punt returner last season. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Holland as his No. 16 overall prospect for 2021.

The Pac-12 plans to begin its 2020 season Nov. 6. The conference will play a seven-game season that will wrap up Dec. 18.

Pac-12 To Begin Play Nov. 6

September 24th, 2020 at 6:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Pac-12 has reached an agreement to play an abbreviated schedule in 2020. The conference will begin play Nov. 6, according to ESPN.com’s Kyle Bonagura and Heather Dinich.

The last of the Power 5 conferences to finalize a 2020 start date, the conference will play seven games before a Dec. 18 conference championship game. This date comes two days before the College Football Playoff committee is scheduled to determine its four playoff-bound teams.

While none of the college conferences are operating normally in this historically unusual season, the Pac-12’s seven-game season will be the shortest among the leagues. The western-based conference nixed its fall season shortly after the Big Ten did in August, but an agreement to conduct daily testing helped push the league toward an earlier-than-expected return. The Big Ten moved to begin play Oct. 24 earlier this month.

Multiple first-round-caliber talents from the Pac-12 have opted out of the season, with the conference previously tabling all sport start dates until at least New Year’s Day. Oregon tackle Penei Sewell — a top-five 2021 prospect — was the most notable player to do so, with Stanford tackle Walker Little also declaring he will prepare for the draft early. A few prominent Big Ten opt-outs backtracked on their decisions after the conference’s announcement of an October start date. It would not be surprising to see Pac-12 players follow suit.

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