After two additional positive coronavirus tests between the Titans, the Pittsburgh Steelers-Tennessee Titans game will not play during Week 4, the NFL announced Thursday.
An additional Titans player and a staff member were positively tested for the Covid-19 on Thursday, according to an NFL statement. The four players (nose opener Dacuan Jones, linebacker Kamlei Korea, long snapper BO Brinkley and practice squad Tight and Tommy Hudson) and five staff members of the team come after positive testing earlier this week.
The decision to postpone the game was taken to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and sports day staff, the NFL said in a statement. “The Titans facility will be closed and no individual activities will continue on the team until further notice.”
The announcement comes a day after the NFL said the game was originally scheduled for Sunday, but was postponed until Monday or Tuesday.
Titans coach Mike Varabel said Wednesday that some of the players who tested positive were experiencing flu-like symptoms.
“I know there will be a lot of questions about the game and who is to blame and where it started. There is no one to blame. We are in an epidemic,” Vareble said. “… This is a very unfortunate situation, but we are confident that we will manage the football team safely in the best interests of the team and the players.”
The Minnesota Vikings, who played the Titans on Sunday, did not give a positive result in their latest round of coronavirus testing on Wednesday, and their facility was to reopen on Thursday.
Now the NFL will have to figure out how to reset the game between its seven undefeated teams after the league’s first COVID-19 outbreak.
Easy view cut to reschedule. 25 is 7 weeks. It’s the Titans’ buy week. Pittsburgh is due to play in Baltimore that week, but both the Steelers and Ravens have a bias in the 8th week, which will affect only one other team by replacing the NFL.
The challenge is turning into a bye for both Tennessee and Pittsburgh this week and comes after both teams started preparing to play as early as Monday. The Titans, who will play in the AFC Championship game in January, and the Stutters, returning with quarterback Ben Rothlisberger, can play the rest of the regular season without a break.
The Pittsburgh hosts the Philadelphia Eagles in October. 11. Buffalo Bills is due to visit Tennessee that day, depending on how the next game or the spread of the Titans continues to affect.
The Associated Press contributes to this report.
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