Report: 72 NFL Players Tested Positive for COVID-19 as of Last Friday
Surprise, surprise; there are some players in the NFL that have tested positive for COVID-19.
NFL Media's Tom Pelissero reported on Thursday that the latest round of testing for the infectious disease found that 72 NFL players have tested positive for the coronavirus. That number accounts for 2.5% of the players in the league.
This should not come as a surprise to anyone. The disease continues to spread, albeit at a slower rate than we saw three months ago. But that doesn't mean it's coming to an end anytime soon. If the NFL season does happen this fall, it will only cause COVID-19 to spread more, specifically among the players, coaches and staffers participating in this year's season. The 72 players that have tested positive are only the beginning of a domino effect that will occur when training camp is underway later this month.
The league is doing what it can (kind of) to prevent the spread of the disease during the 2020 season. They are asking that players quarantine when they are not at the facilities, and are banning things like jersey swaps after games. There are also discussions that players could be offered the option to opt out of the 2020 season if they have concerns about contracting the disease.
On top of that, organizations are individually coming up with their own plans to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Patriots for example are going paperless this year with ticketing, are allowing fans to park at the stadium for free, and if allowed they will hold 20% of their total capacity at Gillette Stadium during home games.
