The NFL has seen dozens of players contract COVID-19.
The NFL is still figuring out how to safely conduct a full season amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the first step in doing so involves a rigorous testing protocol. The first wave of results are in, and they are actually quite encouraging for the league.
Per Tom Pelissero, the NFLPA has confirmed that 72 of the roughly 2,800 players currently on NFL rosters have tested positive for this virus, as of last Friday. That amounts to roughly 2.5 percent of the NFL workforce.
The NFLPA says 72 players leaguewide were known to have tested positive for COVID-19 as of last Friday, according to information made available to players. With roughly 2,800 players currently on rosters, that represents about 2.5% of the workforce.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 16, 2020
2.5 percent of the NFL workforce has contracted the virus.
Several big-name players were among those confirmed to have contracted the virus at one point or another, as Denver Broncos pass rusher Von Miller and Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott were among those who have been infected.
There are both optimistic and pessimistic ways to view this data. On one hand, the positivity rate is far below the national average, showing that a large chunk of the NFL has done what is necessary to avoid contracting the virus. On the other, six dozen players have the virus, and that number could grow in the coming days.
Given the lack of uniformity with regards to how and when the 2020 season will start, the number of confirmed cases is sure to increase given how coronavirus cases are spiking in the southern US.
I don’t have enough characters to fully explain how concerning this is, so I’ll just say one thing that’s been said numerous times over the last couple of months.
— TreJean Watkins (@TreWatkins099) July 16, 2020
If you want football, wear a damn mask. https://t.co/XoRH7eW9nz
While six dozen confirmed cases are still 72 more than the NFL would have liked to see, the league should be commended for keeping their positive test rate so low. If the higher-ups within the league can agree on regulations that enable them to conduct a full season while following proper CDC guidelines, the 2020 season could get started off safely without much of a hiccup.