Seeing the Chicago Bears place practice squad offensive lineman Badara Traore on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday was a cause for concern.
And while there are still hurdles to clear, this feels like a step in the right direction:
ESPN reports no positive tests for the Bears this morning.
— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) October 11, 2020
To be clear, this is a good start and not the end of the tunnel. Because, as we’ve seen with cases elsewhere in the league, the incubation period could reveal new positive tests in the coming days. However, I’ll take this welcome news as is for the time being. In the meantime, Traore still needs to pass the NFL’s newer and stricter protocols before he is allowed to return to the building. He and the Bears aren’t out of the woods yet, but they’ve taken a first step toward getting there.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case around the league.
Updates regarding the Titans and Patriots has been widely reported this morning, so here’s a round-up:
Another #Patriots player tested positive for COVID-19 in Saturday’s round of testing, per source. Everyone is testing again today, and the facility is closed for now as a precaution. The team is awaiting direction from the league on any potential impact on Monday’s game.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 11, 2020
And now the Titans have shut down their facility again after a coach tested positive.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 11, 2020
Broncos-Patriots game is being moved to next Sunday, sources tell ESPN.
Broncos were supposed to play Miami; that won’t happen. That game is being rescheduled.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 11, 2020
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1315309173547073536?s=20
And to think, the league still needs to make a decision on Tuesday’s Titans-Bills game. Another rescheduled Titans game would really throw the league for a loop. And because there are a growing number of moving parts, this is becoming difficult to keep up with all of it.
But in the end, we’ll continue to follow these developments as they come about as we hope for the health and safety for the players, coaches, and others involved.