Steelers-Titans Game Postponed Due To Covid-19 Outbreak

Topline

The Tennessee Titans’ home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday has been postponed and will likely be rescheduled for either Monday or Tuesday, the NFL announced Wednesday, after nine members of the Titans organization tested positive for the coronavirus this week, which was the first Covid-19 outbreak in the league this season, resulting in the first postponement of an NFL game in three years.

Key Facts

Key Background:

The Steelers-Titans game is the first Covid-related schedule modification of the season and the first time since 2017 that any NFL game has had to be postponed. The NFL is planning to step up its enforcement of face-covering compliance on the sidelines to reduce the risks of another outbreak. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the league sent another “strongly-worded memo” to team executives, general managers and head coaches on Wednesday, urging all to adhere to game-day protocols ardently. NFL officials declared they “will address lack of compliance with accountability measures that may include…suspensions and/or forfeiture of draft picks,” according to Schefter. Last week, five NFL head coaches (Vic Fangio, Jon Gruden, Sean Payton, Kyle Shanahan and Pete Carroll) were fined $100,000 each for not wearing face masks on the sidelines. The coaches’ teams were also hit with $250,000 fines, bringing the total amount to $1.7 million.

Crucial Quote: 

“I know there’s going to be a lot of questions about the game and about who’s to blame and where it started. Nobody’s to blame. We’re in a pandemic,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said Wednesday. “This is a very unfortunate situation, but one that we’re confident that we will be able to handle safely with the football team and the players’ best interests in mind.”

Further Reading:

Coaches fined for not wearing face masks (NFL) 

Steelers-Titans postponed after positive COVID-19 tests in Tennessee (ESPN)

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