Robinson Discusses COVID Outbreak
NASHVILLE – Jon Robinson says he has tried – unsuccessfully – to connect the dots.
The Tennessee Titans general manager just can’t figure out exactly how his team got caught up in a COVID-19 outbreak, which has led to the postponement of two games, the second of which is scheduled for Tuesday at Nissan Stadium.
“I've wracked my brain a lot just trying to piece it together and trying to figure it out,” Robinson said Monday. “But I keep coming back and telling myself we're dealing with a microscopic bug that has found its way into a lot of people, certainly in our country, and globally, and it’s affected some gravely, and others have had no symptoms or minimal issues. We don't know how it's going to affect us.
“All it takes is a small window of opportunity, it seems, for this thing to find its way in and have an impact.”
The exact impact on the Titans remains to be seen.
After a 3-0 start, they now have gone more than two weeks since their last game, a 31-30 victory at Minnesota, and did not have their regular preparation time for Tuesday’s matchup with the Buffalo Bills (4-0). Their facility was shut down on Sept. 29 and did not reopen until Saturday. Following another positive test, it was closed again briefly on Sunday.
Tennessee will be without several key players who currently are on the COVID-19 reserve list, and the long-term effects of those who were sidelined by the virus in the last two weeks remains to be seen. The entire coaching staff is not expected to be available to work either.
In all, 13 players and 11 staff members have tested positive for the virus since Sept. 24. The most recent positive was by a staff member on Sunday morning (Saturday's testing).
“It's a mandatory 10-day [period on the COVID reserve list] and then you've got a ramp up period there with the players where the doctors are involved in checking various vitals, if you will, to make sure that from a health standpoint they're cleared,” Robinson said. “… Certainly in this environment of pro football with what we're dealing with, those [depth] guys have got to stay ready. They’ve got to stay vigilant and we're trying to try to clear some of those guys.
“… We'll see how it goes (Tuesday) with roster moves that we've got to make to get 48 guys out there.”
Robinson spent a lot of time defending the team’s actions prior to, and throughout the outbreak. He did concede that many players have had to be reminded often to wear their masks properly when they have been in the facility.
When the team got back to work in recent days, 26 lockers had been moved from the main locker room and placed in the indoor field, eight feet apart. Chairs for meetings also have been moved farther apart, and the hope is that there will be no more positive tests. Those tests, by the way, are now conducted daily, including on game days.
“I think the one thing that has been somewhat eye opening is the incubation period of the disease, and how some people they will show, or their tests will come up positive without symptoms fairly quickly with a potential close contact, and other guys, it takes longer for that test to show positive and there's no symptoms,” Robinson said. “It's an extremely unpredictable disease.
“Certainly, I don't envy the doctors and the epidemiologists that are working through this thing and trying to figure it out. I've got a ton of respect for them, have had a ton of respect for them, and a newfound respect for what they're trying to do to help protect our country and our globe.”
He also is well aware that there is no guarantee Tuesday’s contest will take place. First, he and the rest of the NFL must await the results of Monday’s testing, which will be delivered before sunrise. If one or more of those tests come back positive, the contest, which originally was scheduled for Sunday, could be delayed again.
“I’m erring on the side of positive thinking,” Robinson said. “It's positive mojo here. I say my daily prayers anyway, but I would say my prayer game has increased drastically over the last 10 days, and it will be extremely strong this evening before my head hits the pillow.”
