Titans DT DaQuan Jones Has COVID-19, Played 51 Snaps Against Vikings
Eight positive COVID-19 tests for members of the Titans organization – three players and five staff members – resulted in a shutdown of in-person activities for both the Titans and the Vikings on Tuesday morning. Now, we know who those three players are, and how one in particular may have potentially exposed a large number of Vikings players to the coronavirus.
The Titans added three players to the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday afternoon: nose tackle and defensive captain DaQuan Jones, long snapper Beau Brinkley, and practice squad tight end Tommy Hudson. Since all eight tests were confirmed to be positive, that means those three players all have COVID-19. And given that they tested positive on Tuesday morning for a virus that takes a few days to incubate and show up in tests, it seems highly likely that they took the field at U.S. Bank Stadium with the virus.
The most important name out of that trio from the Vikings' perspective is Jones. He played a total of 51 snaps (45 defense, six special teams) in the game last Sunday, recording three pressures, a QB hit, and two tackles. Due to the nature of his position, Jones made contact with at least one Vikings offensive lineman on every single one of those plays. In doing so, he was potentially exposing them to COVID-19.
The three members of the Vikings' interior offensive line – Garrett Bradbury, Dakota Dozier, and Dru Samia – could all be at risk for testing positive in the coming days if Jones spread the virus to them. Jones also made contact with Kirk Cousins on the QB hit and both Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison on tackles, though those are just one-time occurrences instead of repeated close contact.
Long-snapper Brinkley also played ten snaps on special teams, meaning he could've potentially exposed a Vikings defensive lineman. Hudson is on the practice squad and didn't play. At least one of the five Titans staff members who tested positive is a coach, and all five traveled to Minneapolis for the game.
This is a fluid situation right now. The Vikings announced that TCO Performance Center will remain closed on Wednesday, listing their schedule for Thursday and Friday as "TBD." These next couple days of testing will be crucial towards determining if the Vikings are able to play the Texans as scheduled this weekend.
For now, the league is planning to proceed with the games, but that could change quickly if the Vikings have an outbreak. They had no positive tests on Monday, but as mentioned earlier, it can take a few days for the virus to show up on test results after exposure. This is something to continue to monitor this week.
If the Vikings aren't able to return to their facility until Thursday or later, they could be at a disadvantage in their preparation to face the Texans on Sunday.
Vikings GM Rick Spielman and Head Athletic Trainer/Infection Control Officer Eric Sugarman – who had COVID-19 back in late July/early August – are scheduled to speak to reporters on Wednesday morning.
Here's more from Sports Illustrated on this story:
- Conor Orr: The Titans’ Outbreak Is a Sobering Reminder the Pandemic Isn’t Over
- Albert Breer: Everything to Know About the Titans' Positive COVID-19 Tests, How They Affect NFL Schedule
- Michael Rosenberg: An NFL COVID-19 Outbreak Was Inevitable Because Nobody Controls the Virus
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