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It was a matter of if, not when, that a number of NFL players would test positive for the coronavirus. Simply based on the league’s size alone, and the need for players to work out in groups in the offseason, it was a near certainty. That’s without factoring in the nationwide protests following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, as thousands have gathered in close proximity to protest.
Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, a number of Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans players tested positive, with Ezekiel Elliot being the most significant name among the group. Per ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio, it was a total of four players who tested positive.
#Cowboys star RB Ezekiel Elliott is one of the players who has tested positive for the Coronavirus, his agent Rocky Arceneaux confirmed to me. Arceneaux said Elliott is feeling good.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 15, 2020
The NFL’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, has been handle the oversight and protocols for the league’s approach to returning despite the specter of the coronavirus. A month ago, Sills acknowledged that positive tests would be a reality.
Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer, on a conference call last month: "We fully well expect that we will have positive cases that arise. … Our challenge is to identify them as quickly as possible and prevent spread to any other participants." https://t.co/Uehad2qxov
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 15, 2020
The 49ers are scheduled to play the Cowboys in Dallas on December 20, in Week 15.
