Now What?

NASHVILLE – Wednesday was supposed to be the day the Tennessee Titans got back to business as usual, or at least something close to it.

After two days during which no one in the organization tested positive for COVID-19, however, came news of two more positive tests and increased scrutiny from the league. Among other things, the status of Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills – a matchup between two of the NFL’s six undefeated teams – is uncertain and the possibility that the league could penalize the Titans seems to have increased.

Here is a look at some of the issues that currently face the Titans as they continue to deal with a coronavirus outbreak that began more than a week ago.

• Buffalo’s schedule: The NFL has shown it is willing to postpone a game a day or two in order to provide ample time for testing, contact tracing and preparation. However, Buffalo’s Week 6 game is the Thursday night contest – against the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs (another undefeated team), no less.

There is no way, therefore, the Bills can play on Monday or Tuesday and then come back on a Thursday night and play again. In other words, this is more complicated than just rescheduling one contest.

• No more open dates: Last week’s decision to postpone Tennessee’s matchup with Pittsburgh to Week 7 means that the Titans already are scheduled to play each of the final 13 weeks of the regular season. There is no place to push this game against Buffalo, unless the league wants to add an 18th week to the schedule and delay the start of the postseason.

• Practice time: The Titans’ facility has been closed and players have been instructed to remain apart from one another for more than a week. Yes, virtual meetings have taken place but there has been no on-field work.

Wednesday, typically, is the start of preparations for a Sunday game, but that is now another day lost to the shutdown. Of course, these are well-conditioned, world-class athletes who will maintain their conditioning while they are away. But look at the amount of injuries across the league in the first couple weeks of the regular season, which came without a preseason. It seems fair to wonder what an extended break in the middle of the schedule will do in terms of the overall health of this team.

• Assigning blame: The general impression seems to be that the NFL believes it put together a plan that all but ensured the season could be played without much issue. Last week came word that the NFL had begun an investigation into whether the Titans had violated league protocols, which fueled the outbreak.

Now, Wednesday morning came a report that the league and the players’ association have started an investigation about whether players got together in small groups last week for workouts against league and team directives. A subsequent report indicated that at least one such workout took place.

• Possible penalties: The NFL has shown it is willing to levy significant penalties for violations of COVID-19 protocols, as evidenced by the heavy fines levied against several coaches for non-compliance with mask rules during games.

Monday, teams received a memo from the league in which commissioner Roger Goodell said that “compliance is mandatory” and that the consequences for violations that facilitate the spread of the virus could result in fines, the loss of draft choices or even the forfeiture of a game.

It seems unlikely that the Titans have reached the point that it will cost them a game, but a hefty fine – at the very least – is on the way.