Colts to Re-Open After False Positives

The Indianapolis Colts say four positive COVID-19 tests were re-tested and have been confirmed as negative. The team is re-opening its Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center facility and Sunday’s home game against the Cincinnati Bengals will proceed.

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts now say it was a false alarm.

After closing the team’s Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center early Friday morning because “several individuals” within the organization had tested positive for COVID-19, the Colts announced four hours later that the positive samples were re-tested and came back negative.

The Colts (3-2) host the Cincinnati Bengals (1-3-1) on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium at 1 p.m.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said the initial four positive tests were from one player and three staff members.

A team spokesman said the Colts are still considered in “intensive protocol,” so a Friday afternoon practice will not be made available to the media. Head coach Frank Reich is expected to speak to the media afterward.

Here’s the team’s initial report as shared on Twitter.

At that time, the team spokesman advised the Colts would be working virtually with the facility closed.

The team hasn’t experienced any issue with COVID-19 since two players no longer with the team — wide receiver Malik Henry and cornerback Jackson Porter — were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on July 27th. Both players were eventually activated and subsequently released in August.

(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)